gair rhydd - Issue 892

gair rhydd

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CARDIFF'S STUDENT WEEKLY

IN QUENCH THIS WEEK:

JUNGLE FEVER:

ISSUE 892 MARCH 16 2009

Saving orangutans in Borneo

SABBATTACK

PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

PLUS THE LATEST MUSIC, FILM AND CULTURE - FREE INSIDE

NEWS

Thieves smash window and steal from sleeping students >>page 3

Students' Union Executive Committee member mugged and assaulted at Union event Eleanor Joslin News Editor A member of the Students’ Union Executive Committee was assaulted and mugged in the toilets of the Students' Union at around 2.30am on Saturday March 7.

The victim was threatened by two men in the first floor toilets outside CF10 during a night out at Bedlam in the Great Hall.

gair rhydd has obtained the identity of the Executive Committee member, who wishes to remain anonymous.

He said: “I was really scared. One of the blokes came up to me with a cigarette and put it up to my eye. He didn’t really say much.”

He was then head-butted by the other man. His wallet was taken from him, and his attackers removed £15 from it before discarding it on the toilet floor.

The victim said: "I paid £15 quid

so I wouldn’t get stabbed in the eye with a cigarette.”

He also mentioned that there was anther person present in a toilet cubicle at the time who may have not have been aware of the assault, but did not intervene.

The men escaped as the victim picked his wallet up off the floor, disappearing into the crowded event.

Describing his attackers, the victim said: “They didn’t look like students. They were standard, chavvy,

shaved-head pikeys.”

The attack occurred at Bedlam, an event that is open to the general public, and the victim said it was impossible to find his muggers in the crowd: “There were too many people there who all looked the same,” he explained.

He informed the Union’s security staff immediately, but the popular Drum 'n' Bass and Dubstep night had filled the Great Hall and CF10, and staff were unable to find the culprits.

POLITICS

Custard throwing: are politicians getting their just desserts? >>page 13

02 NEWS

gr

MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Crisis meeting for controversial elections Emma Barlow News Editor

NEWS.................1

As gair rhydd went to print, candidates running for Sabbatical positions were preparing to attend an emergency meeting in one of the most controversial elections in recent years.

The meeting was called on Thursday March 12 and was due to start at 9am the following morning on Friday March 13.

The meeting was called due to the unusually high volume of complaints from candidates against each other.

Speculation about the meeting spurred on rumours already circulating about the preferential treatment of some candidates by Cardiff’s nightclubs and promotional companies.

EDITORIAL & OPINION.............9 POLITICS..........14 LETTERS...........16 FEATURES........17 TAF-OD..............21

JOBS & MONEY.............25 XPRESS...........26 LISTINGS..........28 SPORT..............30 gair rhydd has been Cardiff University's independent student newspaper since 1972.

Cardiff environment Cardiff among top experts tour the US 'Vegetarian-Friendly' universities Sarah Powell News Editor

Experts in the environment and waste from Cardiff University have travelled around the US publicising the advances being made in these fields in Wales, as part of Wales Week 2009.

Sustainability was this year’s theme, and with the University at the forefront of research in environmental and sustainable research, two leading professors were invited by the Welsh Assembly Government to be keynote speakers during the week.

The annual event is designed to promote Wales in the US and takes place in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

‘Green Jobs’ was the theme of Professor Thomas, Head of the School of Engineering’s talk, which drew on a

recent UN report claiming that tens of millions of Green Jobs could be created by a move to Low-Carbon and Low-Waste economies around the world.

Professor Phil Jones, Head of the Welsh School of Architecture, followed with a presentation on ‘Building for a Sustainable Future’, which described the applications of the School’s world-leading research in the area of sustainable architecture and zero-carbon buildings.

Massachusetts State Senator, Anthony David Galluccio also made a surprise appearance and spoke about his own Welsh heritage, links to the Welsh community and fondness for the country.

This latest trip is part of a wider strategy to increase the University's links with America and to achieve greater prominence with the public, influencers and institutions.

PHOTO: NATLAIA POPOVA

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT..23

The salad bar in Kitchen

Emma Barlow News Editor Cardiff University has placed inside the top 15 in the annual Most Vegetarian-Friendly Universities competition.

Compiled by peta2, a youth animal rights organisation, the competition is running for the second year in a row.

Sarah Crowhurst from peta2 said: “The University of Cardiff shows its respect for students by offering them food choices that respect their health, animals and the planet.

“When it comes to serving delicious meatless options and teaching students a valuable lesson in nutrition,

environmentalism and compassion, the University of Cardiff is near the top of the class! ” Other universities who are nominated include the University of Manchester and the University of Bristol.

Universities were chosen from student recommendations and feedback through MySpace, Facebook and the peta2 blog, and anyone is eligible to vote.

The winning university will be announced on Monday April 6 and will receive certificates to display in its campus dining halls.

To view the complete list and to cast your vote, visit www.peta2.com

Away on a placement? Heading abroad? In bed with a hangover?

www.gairrhydd.com ...NEWS, LIVE DEBATE, FEATURES, SPORT, QUENCH, EXCLUSIVE CONTENT & MORE

NEWS 03

MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

PHOTO: EMMA BARLOW

Bloody burglars

Cardiff student to run mega-marathon for charity

Sarah Powell News Editor

Thieves hurl brick through window and make off with Xbox as students doze Emma Barlow News Editor A burglar who left bloody fingerprints all over a house last week is likely to be caught in a matter of days, police have speculated.

The burglars gained entry to 17 Glynrhondda Street by throwing a brick through the kitchen window situated at the back of the house.

Undeterred by the large amount of shattered glass from the double glazed window the man hauled himself in and across the kitchen sink, cutting himself.

Bloody fingerprints are visible on walls and surfaces as he tried to make his way through the kitchen and into the living room.

None of the ten third year students

who reside in the house were woken by the break in. Tom Weller, a Journalism student, whose room is above the kitchen told the gair rhydd: “Living in a house with nine other people makes you get used to hearing noises in the night and anyway I’m a really deep sleeper.”

Luke Townsend said: “I cannot believe none of us were woken by the smash: it is pretty scary to think he was down there roaming around.”

The burglar exited the property by going back through the window with an X-box, a selection of games, controllers and some audio equipment including a sub-woofer.

Tom discovered the scene at 7.30am and the police were called immediately. However, another of the residents, Owen Thomas, a History student, said he was disappointed with

the reaction time of the police. “It was obvious from conversations with the police that they initially had no intention of turning up until we stressed the amount of blood left around the place.

“We were told not to touch anything in the kitchen which was extremely inconvenient because the police took all day to arrive,” he said.

The police arrived at 5pm and took statements and collected forensic evidence and fingerprints from the bloody marks.

Police are confident that they will be able to track down the man due to the strength of the forensic evidence and amount of DNA left at the house.

Luke concluded: “He is just a lucky boy that all ten of us didn’t catch him in the act!”

A student from Cardiff University is taking part in a 24 Hour Ultra Marathon in Namibia to raise money for the Thai Children’s Trust.

Nick Wright, a third year law student, will be running an ultra marathon, which is 78 miles long, hoping to complete it in under 24 hours.

Also taking part are Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton and a team from Men’s Fitness magazine.

Nick told gair rhydd of the gruelling conditions that the participants will face in Namibia. Not only will the runners have to put up with a lack of sleep during the 24 hours, but they will also be running in 45 degree celcius heat during the day, with nighttime temperatures averaging five degrees.

“While the distance is an issue, it’s the heat that I dread because you can’t prepare yourself for it,” said Nick.

"No matter how far I run along it, the Taff Trail can't prepare my body for the heat of the Namibian desert!"

Added to this, all of the competitors will have to be self-reliant during the run, carrying their own food, drinks and equipment on their backs.

Despite these factors, Nick is confident that he will complete the run, and hopes to do it in under 20 hours.

“I’ve done a fair bit of training, including a 50 mile race in January, but I’m still pretty scared!” he said.

As well as regular training for the past six months, Nick is also part of the Cardiff University Men's Rowing Team, which helps him to retain his fitness.

Nick will be running the race in memory of his friend, Todd Burrows, a Cardiff University student who sadly passed away last year.

All money raised will be given to the Thai Children’s Trust, a charity that works to provide a secure, family environment for orphaned or abandoned children.

Nick told gair rhydd of his motivation to raise money for this charity: “My mum is heavily involved in this charity and is currently in the process of opening her own day-care centre for under-privileged Thai children.

This is what is going to give me motivation during the run.”

For more information about the challenge please visit: http://www. adventure-racing.org. If you would like to show your support for Nick, donations can be made at http://www. justgiving.com/nickwright4.

Arms protestors plan next step Cardiff Students Against War host public meeting to spread the word on the issues in Gaza and discuss their next move Jonathan Bird Reporter Cardiff Students Against War hosted a public meeting last Wednesday to discuss their next move after the occupation.

The group managed to get Cardiff University to divest all its shares in the arms trade after a successful twoday occupation of a University lecture theatre a fortnight ago.

The meeting, entitled “Gaza is Still the Issue”, was described as a good opportunity for people to learn about Israel and Palestine.

Speakers included Professor Chris Norris of the ENCAP School, Leanne Wood AM (Plaid Cymru), Marcelo Svirsky, an Israeli post-doctoral fellow also at ENCAP, and Chris Nineham from Socialist Workers Party, the national organiser of the Stop the War Coalition.

Alys Mumford, a third year history

student, chaired the meeting.

She announced that the purpose was to extend the action started in the occupation and force through the rest of their demands, their first aim being to get the University to offer scholarships to students in Gaza, as well as other people under occupation, but reserving places specifically for Gazan students.

Leanne Wood, who spoke first, stated that, “the Western media was very biased”, and this was the atti-

tude echoed by most of the speakers, including Chris Norris. She also produced a letter, which referred to the widespread devastation in Gaza.

Dr Marcelo started his presentation by saying, “I’m an Israeli citizen whether I like it or not.

“While supporting the main aims of the protest, I am against ideological sanctions, because they punish ordinary citizens and are counter productive,” he said.

The next speaker, Chris Nineham,

said: “Israel is getting nastier, although I don’t think it's possible for it to get worse than it is.”

The meeting was intended to further educate people on the issues in Gaza, but one individual who attended the meeting said: "I was frankly disappointed, I learnt very little.

"Mostly I learnt about the metanarrative popular with the left, which states roughly that the West is bad, America is worse, America supports Israel, therefore Israel is really bad."

04 NEWS News in brief: Early screening may detect ovarian cancer Screening might help to detect ovarian cancer before symptoms develop, according to preliminary results published in Lancet Oncology.

The results include first analyses of screening for ovarian cancer currently being investigated by the UKCTOCS (UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening) trial, which includes research at Cardiff University.

The preliminary results show that in the first screen of the 100,000 women participating in the screening arms of the trial, ovarian cancer or borderline tumours were detected in 87 women and missed in 13 women who went on to develop the disease within a year of screening.

Almost half (48%) of the 58 cancers detected were at an early stage.

Cardiff is one of 13 research centres taking part in the study across the UK, co-ordinated by University College London.

Working with colleagues at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff researchers have screened more than 16,000 women Mr Nazar Amso, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, is leading the Cardiff contribution.

He said: “This is the largest-ever trial of its kind into ovarian cancer.

We are very grateful to all the women in Wales who have taken part so far. The trial still has five years to run and there is much to be done before we have firm evidence whether screening can detect ovarian cancer early enough to save lives.”

Ovarian cancer is most common in women who have gone through the menopause, and diagnosis is usually when cancer is already in the advanced stages.

All of the 200,000 women recruited to the trial between 2001 and 2005 through the 13 regional centres were postmenopausal and aged between 50 and 74 years old.

Dr Usha Menon, UKCTOCS trial co-ordinator and one of the principal investigators said: “The early results suggest that both types of screening can be used on a large scale and both successfully identify ovarian cancers.

"However, we must wait till 2015 before we can conclude whether or not a wider screening programme could lead to a fall in deaths due to ovarian cancer.”

The UKCTOCS trial has been funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK.

MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Cardiff professor supports 'Mothers in Africa'

Painting for 'Mothers in Africa' charity

Sarah Powell News Editor Following her success in winning the title of Welsh Woman of the Year, Professor Judith Hall planned a trip to Liberia to sponsor two nursing students as part of her charity work with ‘Mothers of Africa’.

The sponsorship involved helping the nurses to undertake higher train-

ing in resuscitation and anaesthesia, which will be a valuable opportunity since there are no other sources of funding available for training in this area.

Returning from the 10-day visit, Professor Hall, Head of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care at the School of Medicine said: “It was a very inspiring trip and came about thanks, in part, to the Welsh Woman of the Year award. Winning that award really helped to raise awareness of the

charity’s work and brought in a lot of extra donations."

Alongside this, Professor Hall has also been involved in a number of other events, including International Women’s Day, and speaking at ‘Women Through The Ages: A Celebration’, a one day event in Cardiff.

‘Mothers of Africa’ is an educational charity set up in response to maternal mortality figures in SubSaharan Africa.

In Liberia, a country with 22 anaes-

thetists currently serving a population of three million, there is a high chance of a mothers dying during childbirth, and this risk increases with every pregnancy.

The charity has recently launched a new website: www.mothersofafrica. org which contains information on the charity, reports on educational trips to Africa, and details of upcoming fundraisers.

fee proposal – consistent with the promises they fought the 2007 election with – but ministers have said that the policy of withdrawing funds is within the scope of the coalition deal.

The scheme proposes pushing muchneeded cash straight to universities and introducing meanstested grants. The consultation period is now over.

We reported that Plaid leader Ieuan Wyn Jones had told ministers that he couldn’t convince the Labourmajority Assembly to side with Plaid, and this week Mr Price has

called for debate to be “reopened”. He also questioned whether it was a “rubber stamping exercise”.

Mr Price said: “Asking us to breach our manifesto commitment based on misleading information and a rushed and incomplete policy review and consultation process is, to my mind, unacceptable.”

He continued to question the Cabinet’s idea that the grants “had not had the effect of encouraging Welsh students opting to stay in Welsh higher education institutions”, but then points out that the original grant scheme had the desired effect.

He was one of the authors of the One Wales power-sharing deal. Plaid AM Dai Lloyd said that the Government was in a difficult position, himself having spoken of more money for HE in the past.

A One Wales spokesperson said “The reform of the student finance system is in line with the One Wales Agreement to ‘maintain existing fee levels in Wales up to and including 2009/10’ and maintaining ‘the current level of resource throughout the four year assembly term."

The proposals were passed by a review group led by Bangor University’s Vice-Chancellor and included HE representatives from across Wales, as well as from the NUS.

Plaid critical of government plan to axe top-up fees Nathan Allen Reporter The Welsh Assembly Government’s plan to axe the grant which helps pay top-up fees could be illegal, claims one Plaid Cymru MP. Adam Price, Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, spoke also of how the proposal “breaches the spirit” of the Plaid/Labour power sharing deal.

Mr Price wrote to the Welsh Education minister, Jane Hutt, and said that the cabinet’s decision to withdraw funding was based upon “highly misleading evidence”. gair rhydd reported last week on how Plaid members had overturned the party’s decision to back the tuition

NEWS 05

MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Academics attack 'watered down' degrees

Engineering progress

Randerson calls for Welsh Assembly to develop science and engineering based industries.

Degrees of worth?

Charlotte Laken Reporter A group of academics has made a scathing attack on the state of British higher education.

The academics, working at UK universities including Cardiff, have presented a 500-page dossier complaining that British higher education is being thwarted by watered-down degrees, plagiarism, and systematic pressure from university authorities to inflate the grades of weak undergraduates.

The dossier includes warnings from some of Britain’s most senior academics. Alan Ryan, warden of New College, Oxford, wrote that while he approved of expanding university education, too much of it is “reme-

dial secondary education passed of as something else”.

Peter Dorey, a politics academic at Cardiff, told the inquiry: “I feel as if I am wasting my time with today’s students”, adding that many of them are “semi-literate”, often sitting in seminars “with only their mobile phones in front of them on the desk…but no books or notepads.”

While David Boucher, head of the school of European studies at Cardiff, said that “the school does not recognise the picture of students Dr Dorey paints”, many academics outside the UK believe the sharp critical thinking and fostering independence are no longer the hallmarks of British university education.

The problems are being blamed on two decades of university expansion without adequate funding.

Protesters demand

fairer funding for higher education

Sarah Powell News Editor A group of campaigners are set to lobby the Welsh Assembly in a demonstration to demand an accessible and fairly funded higher education system in Wales.

The protest is set to take place on Tuesday 17 March, from 12pm until 5pm, which brings it in line with the launch of the Government response to he HE review.

This comes at a time when the Government have been consulting on

the removal of the Tuition Fee Grant, and the targeting of student support to ensure it reaches those most in need.

Their demands include the need for more transparency and simplicity in the system for the distribution of bursaries, as well as making bursaries more accessible.

Alongside this, the protesters will be campaigning for a fairer basis on which student support is distributed and that redistribution of tuition fees is done across Wales rather than within institutions to ensure the money reaches those who need it most.

Alan Smithers, director of the centre for education and employment research at the University of Buckingham, has suggested that the only way to avoid this “dumbing-down” of our universities is to break the state monopoly, which emphasises wider participation rather than excellence, by restoring autonomy to the universities.

With figures showing that applicants due to start degrees this autumn is up 7.8% on last year, the evidence increases pressure on John Denham, the universities secretary, to take steps to guard quality.

One source on the committee said: “It is incumbent on the authorities to take the concerns seriously. The worry is they are inclined to dismiss rather than investigate.”

Michelle Taylor Reporter Marking the beginning of National Science and Engineering Week, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Economy Minister has called for a move forward on developing science and engineering based industries across the country.

Just a week after the St. David’s Day Declaration united Welsh univer-

sities to boost the country’s knowledge-based economy, Jenny Randerson AM has called for the Welsh Assembly Government to help in developing engineering and science based industries in Wales.

Randerson commented: “Cardiff University has a very respectful Engineering Department but very few of its graduates stay in Wales.” Randerson concluded that she hopes that in the future “Wales never gets into the economic hole it is now.”

06 NEWS

MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

UNION WATCH

Eleanor Joslin rounds up the week in student media

Oxford dean condemns 'queer bops' Dean of Wadham School condemns tradition of 'Queer Bops', accusing them of posing a 'reputational risk' to the college OXFORD CHERWELL

Students partying at a 'Queer Bop'

Cambridge faces funding reduction Government cuts research funding allocation CAMBRIDGE VARSITY

The University of Cambridge faces a cut in funding for its research, based on its position in the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

From the results the Government has declared that it will be decreasing the amount of funding it allocates to the University.

Despite this, a University spokesperson said this amount of funding continues to be the highest in the country.

The RAE. which was compiled by

the Higher Education Funding Council and was published in December 2008, revealed that Cambridge will be receiving a recurrent grant of nearly £181.3 million.

Even though this is an increase of 3.1 per cent in real terms the funding has actually decreased due to inflation.

Funding for research overall has increased below the current level of inflation and this has affected many universities.

The Russell Group described this as ‘unsatisfactory’ and said: “This settlement does not go far enough for many of our leading research-intensive universities to meet these tough [economic] challenges.”

Wadham College’s annual Queer Bop event may be permanently axed amid fears over student safety and condemnation by an Oxford dean.

Paul Martin, dean of Wadham School, described it as a “significant reputational risk to the college” and that it went “against the boundaries of acceptability” when he raised these issues at a Students' Union liaison meeting.

The college is affiliated with the University of Oxford and this event is the climax of Wadham’s Queer Week, which celebrates homosexuality.

Drunk students and the size of the event have been criticised as well as the fear that ‘Queer Bop revellers’ would cause destruction and even injure other people.

The Students' Union liaison meeting also highlighted how the event's security company had showed concerns about safety too, suggesting that

a 'serious incident' was very likely to occur.

Wadham students have reacted with anger against the dean’s proposals, saying they are “disproportionate” and that the college had “gone too far.”

Gemma Maxwell, an undergraduate, defended Queer Bops and said: “ [it] helps Oxford break away from its stereotypical image of being stagnant and boring.”

The tradition encourages fancy dress and female students have dressed up as members of The Village People, and men have donned skimpy French maid outfits or used cling-film or duct tape to cover up.

Ryan Thoreson, an Oxford student, has revealed what kind of antics occur at Queer Bop on his online blog: "This is maybe the first time that I've ever screened things out for being beyond the usual boundaries of sketchiness... [Queer Bop] also had a bucking mechanical phallus that we'll never speak of again.

"Except I should say that movies with drunk middle-aged women who hop on a mechanical bull and ride it

sexily make it look much easier than it actually is. I hurt everywhere)."

He also said: 'Queer Bop is magic.

I'd imagine that this is what Cinderella's morning after would have felt like if she were queer enough to leave her dignity and keep the shoes."

The college’s gay community also said: “It would be a real shame if a college so celebrated for its tolerance ended up cancelling a party which promotes queer culture.”

Queer Bop was originally organised as a protest against the Local Government Act which had been amended to ban the promotion of homosexuality in University Schools.

However, the dean said that he wants the event to be cancelled before he leaves next year, and that “there are events that are just unacceptable, that are always going to be unacceptable” when he commented on the Bop. According to Martin a compromise was not negotiable: "we should not continue with the event in its current form , or with small changes: no further Queer Bops should occur."

Pick up a penguin LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS THE BEAVER A penguin has been stolen from the London School of Economics’ public art collection when three men tore the statue off of its platform.

Positioned outside Waterstone’s bookshop, staff ran after the vandals but could not catch up with them.

The penguin was still intact at 11pm, Saturday March 7, but now only its black flippers and the base

remain and students have left flowers in memory of the penguin.

Rachel Leighton, an LSE undergraduate, said: “I love that penguin. I used to always feel the need to have my photo taken with it when staggering out of Crush. I really do hope we get it back.”

The LSE student newspaper, The Beaver, suggests that ‘revellers’ from a nearby club called Quad, which hosts a teenage indie night on Saturdays, may have stolen the statue, but as it is still missing this accusation remains unfounded.

WORLD NEWS 07 Colonel recovered after 24-year dip Also in the MARCH.16.2009 NEWS@gairrhydd.COM

KFC statue pulled from river nearly a quarter of a century after it was thrown in by baseball fans Michelle Taylor Reporter A statue of Colonel Sanders has been pulled from a river in Japan this week 24 years after it was thrown in by Japanese baseball fans.

The statue of the KFC mascot was thrown into the river in Osaka by fans celebrating a national championship win by the Osaka baseball team, the Hanshin Tigers, in 1985.

They ripped the statue of restaurant founder Harland Sanders from a local KFC because he bore a resemblance to one of the Hanshin Tigers’ key players in the championship, Randy Bass. The bearded power hitter was from the USA and a first baseman for the Tigers at the time.

In celebration of the successes and wins of the baseball team, fans often jump into the muddy waters of the Dotombori River, but in recent years the fans have not had much to celebrate.

Many fans blame this lack of success on what they call the “curse of Colonel Sanders.” They believe that since the statue was submerged 24 years ago its presence has prevented the Hanshin Tigers from achieving league victory.

Sumeo Yokakawa, a spokeswoman at KFC’s Tokyo headquarters said: “He was apparently found standing upright, which is fitting, because although he was a nice man he could also be very strict and demanding.”

The statue was covered in mud when it was found by divers cleaning the river bed ready for construction

work on a new walkway to take place, according to city official Hideo Yuko.

The upper half of the Colonel was found on Tuesday and his legs were recovered on Wednesday morning.

The upper half unfortunately had lost its hands and glasses, but still bore the trademark smile of Colonel Sanders.

The Colonel is currently being held in police custody but Yokakawa said that KFC is considering donating the statue to the Hanshin Tigers’ home stadium in Osaka, since the store where he was originally taken from has since closed.

It is hoped that, once the statue is watching over the stadium, the curse of the Colonel will be lifted and the Tigers can return to their former championship glory.

news...

Steve Wright Reporter

Councillor controversy

Monkey missiles McEmergency

A Bournemouth councillor has been cleared of any wrongdoing after he praised himself on an internet forum under the alias of a local resident.

Labour group leader Cllr Ben Grower posted under the username ‘Omegaman’ on the Bournemouth Daily Echo forum, leaving favourable comments on a number of stories related to him.

You're nicked!

Emma McFarnon Reporter Daniella Graham Reporter A chimpanzee at a Swedish zoo has been planning missile attacks on visitors to his enclosure, showing signs of forward planning thought to be unique to human beings.

Santino, a 31-year-old male from Furuvik Zoo, has been spotted calmly collecting stones while the zoo is closed and then launching them at the first groups of visitors to his enclosure in the morning.

Keepers realised he had been collecting stones from the moat surrounding his island home as well as tapping areas of the concrete floor with his fist to release loose chunks of concrete.

He then piled up his ammunition

on the side of the island facing the crowds to use once the visitors arrived.

Mathias Osvath of Lund University has written a report on Santino’s behaviour, and concluded that, “these observations convincingly show that our fellow apes do consider the future in a very complex way.”

Santino is apparently anticipating the arrival of visitors and trying to deal with this apparent problem by attempting to get the visitors to move on.

Staff at the zoo have warned visitors about Santino’s behaviour and erected a fence to try and contain the projectiles.

In a bid to decrease hormone levels and thus make him less inclined to throw stones, Santino has now been castrated.

A woman in Florida is to appear in court for misusing the emergency services telephone number.

Latreasa Goodman called 911 three times last weekend to report that McDonalds were out of Chicken McNuggets.

According to the police report, the 27-year-old called to complain that an employee at her local McDonald’s wasn’t giving her a refund for the chicken nuggets she wanted.

Goodman told authorities she paid for a 10-piece meal, but was later informed the restaurant had run out. She claimed she was refused a refund, and told all sales were final.

The cashier told police she offered Goodman a larger portion of different food for the same price, but Goodman became irate.

"This is an emergency. If I had known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn’t have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don’t want one," Goodman told police.

She later appeared on a local news channel, and claimed "When you feel that you've been mistreated or robbed out of your money, you have the right to call 911....that's the purpose of 911, so I thought.”

But Tiffany Bennett, an emergency coordinator for St. Lucie County, said that the incident does not constitute an emergency.

"It's not an emergency unless there was some kind of disturbance or somebody threatening someone, and I don't believe that was the case in this matter," she said.

Police say Goodman has been cited on a misuse of 911 charge, and is due to appear in court later this month.

A man suspected of participating in a robbery has been arrested after he turned up at a police station in Chula Vista for a job interview.

Romeo Montillano is thought to have been involved in the robbery of a San Diego K-mart last December, in which a television, DVD player and telephone were stolen and employees beaten up.

Upon turning up for an orientation exercise for police candidates, Montillano was recognised by police officers and arrested in connection with the robbery.

Bribester busted

An Indian man has been jailed after accepting an amount of just under a dollar as a bribe nearly a quarter of a century ago.

75-year-old doctor Balgovind Prasad was caught by police accepting a bribe of 25 rupees (80 cents) from a sweeper in return for issuing a fake medical certificate.

Prasad was eventually convicted in 1992 and given a one-year jail sentence, but was released on appeal. The sentence has since been reduced to three years.

OPINION 09

MARCH.16.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

freewords Est. 1972

Elect with enthusiasm Student elections are here again, and it is more important than ever for you to make sure your voice is heard.

This year's AGM saw a number of radical changes to the make up of the sabbatical team passed by the student body. The aim was to provide a more efficient, empowered and accountable team who would be better able to cope with the needs of the student body.

It is a tired turn of phrase, but it really is the responsibility of students to read the manifestos of the candidates, to engage them in person and to vote for who they believe will be best for the job.

Student elections are easy to criticise for being gimmicky popularity contests. It is historically common for students at Cardiff to adopt the moral high ground and refuse to vote on the grounds that the elections process itself is a farce.

However, this is an injustice to all of the candidates who run with a genuine desire to make a change for the better.

Leaf through the manifesto booklet, or engage the candidates in person, and you will see that these are, for the most part, people who genuinely care about the Students' Union and will devote themselves to it should they be voted in.

As for the bright colours and outlandish personas, they are perhaps not all too far away from the publicity stunts and carefully manicured personas of politicians. At least students are honest, even if they are garish and brash.

And there is a more sensible reason for the eye-catching, playful tactics of student campaigners. Students simply do not want to vote in somebody that they cannot relate to. The campaign that candidates run is a test of their ability to understand and engage students. Sabbatical officers must be effective communicators who know their audience - a skill that is perhaps as relevant to their role as their manifesto.

It is all too easy to succumb to the futile logic that the election is a farcical carnival that does not warrant students' attention. But that simply isn't true. Find the committed, passionate candidates, engage them, and vote for them. There is no other way of ensuring a bright future for the Students' Union.

Editor Ben Bryant Deputy Editor Hazel Plush Co-ordinator Elaine Morgan Subeditor Jamie Thunder News Emma Barlow Emma Jones Sarah Powell Sian Symons Eleanor Joslin Editorial and Opinion

The right to bear arms Due to mounting pressure, Cardiff University recently pulled all investment in BAE. Jonathan Bird questions whether it was the right decision

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mature student once told me she liked the political protests at Cardiff University, because they reminded her of the seventies. Also, she said it was good to see that not everyone these days was materialistic.

I agree with her. Students trying to change the world and caring about others is great. As for similarity to seventies' campus politics, well, scenes from Bradbury’s The History Man have flashed into my mind at demos, as well as occasionally while taking part in Student Council.

Flares may be out of fashion, but the recent protest occupation at Cardiff University proves that political students are not. The protest itself, I think, hangs on three key words: ethical, investment and defence.

Let’s look at the protest’s main points. Explicitly, the message of the protest is that defence-related industry is unethical. The slogan 'Books not Bombs', articles in gair rhydd, the internet material and leaflets, all attack the industry as inherently corrupt and damaging to mankind. Well, war is nasty, very nasty, brutish and often not short.

War can be very brutish and often not short, but it can be necessary I've seen bodies flying from vehicles in Africa, children with limbs missing and a Vietnamese girl screaming, naked but for napalm burns. However I know that British troops suppressed the brutal RUF and saved Sierra Leone from more years of atrocities.

I saw a war, including actual genocide (not a cheap political chant) stopped in Bosnia. NATO, after years of inaction, bombed Serbian positions, artillery and ammunition dumps. Within weeks of intervening a cease-fire was called and the Dayton peace made.

All of the British aircraft used in the action were either made by or de-

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pended on BAE. I would have been proud if I had helped make any of them. (I know of Cardiff graduates that are working in defence, and they are not ashamed of their work.)

As I’m sure you are aware, defence employs hundreds of thousands of people and is a major part of our economy. The huge cost entailed is supported partly by international trade.

Israel (boos and hissing) is included in this trade, not just as a customer, but also as a partner. BAE’s Un-manned Ariel Vehicles are joint projects with Israel Aircraft Industries.

Why was a policy such as this not put to a vote?

A wide-ranging boycott may damage BAE's British partners as much as Israel. The protest denounced BAE for equipping F15s, used against Hamas

by Israel. Well ,as I'm sure you know, the F15 Tomcat isn't made by BAE or in Israel; it's American.

The cost both politically and monetarily incurred by boycotting the USA doesn't bear thinking about. Though it could, according to a revolutionary Marxist, help bring on the ‘historically inevitable’ collapse of capitalism (which is apparently said to be a good thing!).

Pressure on Israel is much better made by means of selectively withholding some armaments and restricting trade with settlements built on occupied land.

This talk of trade and cost leads in to the slogan ‘Books not Bombs’. Our security guards do not have pistols or air support. Therefore arms are not part of university expenditure. Well what is the issue? Books, computers etc. will be purchased by income, including dividends from investment.

Surpluses in one year will be invested in something and spent in other years. So to de-invest defence shares is to make a value judgement. Is the very provision of arms in itself wrong? If that is so then not just investment, but Natalia Popova Online Editors Graeme Porteous Tom Barnett Proof Readers Aisling Tempany Lucy Morgan Fran Jarvis Emma Davies Emma McFarnon Lucy Morgan Rachel Greenwood Laurel Burn Contributors Jonathan Bird, Jack

BAE: A necessary evil? military-related research, OTC (student army units), careers advice and student sponsorship should re-examined, as well as the naval unit.

Cardiff graduates working in defence are not ashamed of what they do You are, of course, free to say it is wrong, but what mandate do those who declare they are speaking in the name of student opinion claim? There was a vote in Student Council two years ago; a Student Council that could be, and was, packed by small groups.

As there were no controls, anyone who came could vote, however unrepresentative they were. The constitution of the Union required checks to prevent this and to ensure the Council was representative. Unfortunately, it was never lived up to until this year.

Now it has been implemented. In this Union, the council is not a polit-

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bureau; it makes decisions and recommends things to the student body. Students’ opinions are tested in two ways, either by a vote at the Annual General Meeting or by referendum. The ban on Nestle products is valid, because it passed a vote at an AGM. Also, our NUS affiliation is subject to periodic referendums.

Why then was this policy not put to such a vote? Could it be because two similar hard-left motions were voted down at the 2006 AGM? I visited the occupation and talked to some of the activists. One told me that they were a small group and their voice would be drowned in open debate. That is the issue that offends me the most.

British Aerospace will not be brought to its knees by the loss of £256,458 of University investment.

Service men and women, with their ‘dirty equipment of death’, have been reviled on many occasions. One more body appearing to demean their service will not by itself break their morale. We will probably still be safe in our beds. However, the lack of debate and democracy shocks me.

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10 OPINION Canuck in Cardiff

Corey Shefman keeps late hours niversity libraries are arguably the backbones of our academic institutions.

They’re where we start our research, and where our research eventually ends up.

For students, the library is not only a place to broaden our knowledge about a particular topic; it can serve as a refuge for those times when it feels like the pile of coursework mounting on your desk will never stop growing.

The problem at Cardiff is that our libraries aren’t as available to us as they should be.

While we’re lucky at Cardiff to have a wide selection of libraries – each specialising in a certain area of research – they all generally close either at 5pm or 9:30pm during termtime, and almost all of them at 5pm during the summer (when most taught postgraduates do the bulk of their dissertation work).

The only exception to this is the Bute building – housing social sciences – which, during the weeks leading up to exams, has a few study spaces open 24 hours a day.

The problem is, essays and other coursework are not scheduled to fit neatly in line with the University’s exam schedule; they are assigned at various points throughout the year and students need their workspaces not just in the last weeks of term, but on an ongoing basis.

Personally, I do my best work between 2am and 4am. Weird? Probably.

But hey, it works. While some have argued that the University doesn’t want to encourage students to work late into the night by offering 24-hour study space, I think it’s fair to say that we’re all old enough to make that kind of decision on our own.

The problem for me is that if I do that work in my flat, I’ll get distracted (living across the street from a pub certainly doesn’t help), and I know I’m not the only one in this situation.

At my undergrad university in Canada, I spent many nights in my local Starbucks which was open 24 hours, offered WiFi at a small cost, and had no problem with the students that inevitably filled the place to capacity nearly every single night writing essays, preparing for exams and doing group work.

To my knowledge, there aren’t any 24-hour coffee shops located a convenient distance from Cathays, and the University certainly doesn’t offer any usable 24-hour study space.

This is just another example, following on from my residences rant from last week, of how Cardiff University continues to let down students when it comes to co-curricular and ancillary services that I think we rightly expect a university of this high calibre to provide for us.

Do you have beef with Cardiff Uni? Send me an email at: canuckincardiff@googlemail.com.

U

MARCH.16.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Academic overload?

Are degrees worth less, or are we just getting fussier? Rachel Sutcliffe weighs up the issue o, a big bunch of lecturers from some of the country’s highest-rated universities all got together a little while ago, bitched and moaned a bit, and released a 500-page document that essentially said that university degrees no longer mean as much as they used to.

Now that wasn't very nice, was it?

I guess the intentions behind both the meeting and the document were good – they only want degrees to improve and whatnot – but if I'm honest, it makes us students currently studying for those degrees feel a bit crap.

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There's snobbery when it comes to opinion of some qualifications The question is, why don't they mean as much? Is it a result of the increase in university applications which means that degrees don't stand out as much on CVs? Or maybe it's that degrees are apparently becoming easier to pass, with the amount of

2:1s achieved having risen. I suspect it is the latter, which, if anything, only makes us students feel worse.

While I'm struggling to pass all my modules and to keep my head above water, I'm told that what I'm achieving is nothing compared to what was achieved some five to ten years ago.

Bollocks. The fact of it is, education is changing.

There are constantly reports about Alevels becoming easier but perhaps this is because they view subjects which are arguably more relevant to actual jobs – such as media studies and business studies – as easier because they are more vocational rather than academic.

The problem is that a lot of snobbery still exists when it comes to how impressive degrees

are seen to be. If you say to somebody that you have a BA in English Literature you are met with a pat on the back. However, so much as mutter the word ‘journalism’ and you’ll be met with laughs and shaking of heads.

Perhaps this snobbery is the reason these lecturers see degrees as not as important; those degrees which aren't of the more academic nature are easy to pass and therefore don't count for anything.

To be honest, I don't see much problem with degrees becoming easier, because if the whole country's degrees are easier to pass, then surely everything is relative? I just think perhaps it has nothing to do with university at all.

With interest- ing, on-the-job training on the rise, big companies

may now want to train their staff from the beginning, rather than recruiting graduates after their three years of study.

It's certainly not the students' fault if degrees are becoming easier Okay, so maybe the men are right.

But whose fault is it really? Students don't write the degrees, nor do they mark the essays; if qualifications have become too easy to pass, then surely it's the fault of the lecturers who designed them to be so?

Maybe people really don't care that much about degrees anymore, and the expensive hard work we are putting in for three years is actually somewhat pointless.

But why tell us that? Maybe they should have kept their opinions to themselves, avoided making students feel completely unmotivated and changed the degrees themselves. After all, what we don't know can't hurt us, right?

Getting back in touch A Catholic explains the significance of the lifting of excommunications on ultra-traditionalist bishops he Society of St Pius the Tenth (SSPX) is an ultratraditionalist order of lay faithful, priests and bishops. Their bishops were in a state of excommunication from the Catholic Church from 1988 until recently, because their late leader ordained four bishops without papal permission.

SSPX reject the second Vatican Council, particularly its statements on relations with Jews and Religious Freedom, and also reject the most modern form of celebrating the Mass.

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This is an attempt to heal a wound in the Church Since his election, Pope Benedict XVI has made a number of gestures that were partially aimed at bringing SSPX back into the Catholic fold.

His most significant action was to lift restrictions on celebrating the older, more traditional form of the Mass.

These actions culminated in the lifting of the excommunication on SSPX bishops to better enable discussions on doctrinal issues such as the second Vatican Council.

The problem with this is that one of the four SSPX bishops (Bishop Williamson) denies the Holocaust. Apparently the Vatican were unaware of this Bishop’s views, despite them having being revealed in a British Catholic newspaper last year, and despite this bishop giving an interview to Swedish TV the week before the excommunications were lifted.

This in a way is a distraction. There is no provision in the Catholic Church for excommunicating people because they deny the Holocaust. Of course, if a bishop or priest publicly denies the Holocaust, they could be stripped of their right to offer public ministry.

It is important to realise that the lifting of the excommunications does not mean that SSPX bishops are serving Catholic bishops. To be excommunicated means that one cannot celebrate or receive the sacraments (such as Confession, Marriage, Holy Orders or Communion) unless in danger of

death.

What the lifting of the excommunications means is that the Vatican recognises that the SSPX can celebrate sacraments validly – although Catholics are discouraged from receiving sacraments from the SSPX unless it is an emergency. SSPX bishops and priests are not in Communion with the Catholic Church and thus cannot offer Catholic Ministry.

The Vatican have not explained their actions well The new relationship of the SSPX to the Catholic Church is similar to the relationship between the Catholic Church and the non-Catholic Orthodox Church. These organisations excommunicated each other in 1064 and lifted the excommunications in 1965.

There are still doctrinal issues that prevent Catholics from worshipping in non-Catholic Orthodox Churches and which stop non-Catholic Ortho-

dox priests and bishops from serving in the Catholic Church, but none the less these are recognised by the Catholic Church as validly ordained priests and bishops.

For Bishop Williamson to serve as a Roman Catholic Bishop, the Pope has made it quite clear that he will have to recant his views on the Holocaust. For him and the other SSPX bishops, the Pope has made it quite clear that for the SSPX to be considered part of the Catholic Church they will have to accept the second Vatican Council.

The lifting of the excommunication is only a first step towards re-union. It is not an attempt to anger Jews, nor is it a backwards step. It is a step to heal a wound in the Church, and to bring SSPX back to the ways of the Catholic Church.

Why all the confusion, then? To be blunt, the Vatican have not explained their actions well. This has resulted in the press (not known for their accurate reporting on the Catholic Church) writing a lot of factually incorrect information. It is this that has fuelled the outcry, not the nature of the actions themselves.

OPINION 11

MARCH.16.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Spectators of sue-icide A court case too far, thinks Chris Humphrey

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his is all a bit ridiculous. One of those depressing things you normally hear about happening in America that makes you sigh, drop your head and allow four letter words to have a field day in your mind.

A man has made a killing out of attempted suicide by successfully suing the hospital that saved his life for £90,000.

He claims he left the hospital in a worse condition The 52-year-old was depressed after leaving his job of 23 years and moving to the north of England. He

eventually decided to indulge with a cheeky glass of rum and cola that had been spiced up a little with around 100 pills.

He was immediately taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary after his wife and children came home from their daily events to discover he had overdosed.

When he was treated at the hospital, the doctors administered four times the appropriate dosage of neutralising drugs. This saved his life, but he was left with damage to his right arm which he described as ‘third degree burns’.

He essentially claims that circumstance is irrelevant when concerning medical negligence by saying: “I know they saved my life, but if you went in with a heart attack you wouldn't expect to leave with a limb you can't use.

There are not many people who come out of hospital worse than when they went in.”

He added: "Most people would be rushing down the road or booking a holiday but the money hasn't made me smile. I'm just empty. I didn't do it for money, I did it for principles and the way I was treated." Three years later he attempted suicide again.

He went in on the verge of death and left with a bad arm In my view, his spurious remarks are utterly contestable. Attaining compensation for medical negligence is acceptable, but not if the person

suffering from the negligence was the sole perpetrator of their own deliberately self-inflicted medical problems.

Without the hospital’s help this man would now be dead, and yet he maintains his thankless attitude. It is risible for him to argue that he has left hospital in a worse condition than when he arrived. When he entered hospital he was on the verge of death; when he left he had a bad arm.

If you relocated to the north and subsequently became depressed, why not move south again? Or talk to somebody about it? Don’t be selfish and immature by attempting suicide.

If you have no desire for money, why sue a hospital? I can’t even be bothered to use my fingertips to press this issue any further. This man needs to grow the fuck up, donate all the money to charity and sort his life out.

DOCTOR: You got served

Time to reflect on global warming Firing a few mirrors into space at the cost of trillions of pounds isn't particularly high on Alex Evans' list of priorities

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e are living in scary times: times of crippling economic recession, weakening currency, massive national debt and nose-diving prosperity.

It would seem, then, the perfect time to create a machine, which costs $350 trillion (£244 trillion).

Yes, trillion.

The news last week surfaced that American scientists at Arizona University are beginning the initial stages of construction and planning for a project that will ultimately cost hundreds of trillions of dollars in funding.

What is this project for? Tackling world hunger? Curing the poverty divide between the West and the third world? Stimulating the global economy? No, not these frivolous pursuits.

Global warming.

The plan is this; to create an enormous ‘gun’ that will fire mirrors into space, floating highly reflective materials approximately a million miles from the earth in order to reflect some of those pesky solar rays and combat global warming.

The 350 trillion dollar plan is, of course, ludicrous This plan is of course, ludicrous.

Even if there was incontrovertible evidence that global warming is a very real threat (which there isn’t), the frankly obscene price tag is simply

unjustifiable.

If the money must be used in an environmentally friendly way, why not spend it on reducing carbon emissions, funding greener power plants and natural generation alternatives, boosting electric or hydrogen car production or simply cleaning up the mess we’ve made?

This is a ridiculous amount to spend on, as yet, an unproven threat The will of scientists and politicians alike to instead fritter the money away on hare-brained schemes is typical of today’s attitudes. Such recklessness ruined our economy, not to mention devastated our seas with pollution and ravaged our natural resources.

I’m not even convinced that global warming exists. The Earth has, for many millions of years, gone through cycles of natural warming and cooling; we have an ice age every hundred thousand years or so, and a heat wave or two in the intervening time. It has been proven to be the case.

Even looking at much smaller time periods reveals the truth. NASA, in 2007, quietly released information which proved that the 1930s, not the 1990s, were the hottest on recent record. In a bizarre twist, it is the 1930s which in many ways mirrors the climate of today; both geographical and political. Scientists and politicians

considered that the world may be warming due to man’s actions.

Much like today, the Western world was in the midst of a fireball of crippling economic depression and alleged ‘global warming’. Yet the subsequent decades proved much colder, thus debunking the myth.

It is then, natural fluctuations.

‘Global warming’ killed the woolly mammoth, but it’s certainly nothing we did. The very fact that we think we are warming our planet in the short time we’ve been industrialised shows how self-aggrandising and self-centered we really are. We don’t control nearly us much as we think we do.

This is not to say that we don’t have any effect at all on our planet; we have a responsibility as the dominant species not to destroy our seas with pollution.

petuating. We may not be causing our planet to warm, but we certainly are damaging it in other ways.

One thing is for sure then: we need to take greater care. Greater care of how we treat our planet, and greater care of how we spend our money.

If we had taken a more cautious approach since the beginning of capitalism and industrialisation right through to where we are today, we would in

all likeliness not have damaged our planet so carelessly, or be so crippled and depressed economically.

Yes, global warming is in all likeliness a myth, but damaging our planet with crazed recklessness isn’t. Spending $350 trillion on a mirror-shooting gun is going to do nothing to buck these trends, either economically and environmentally.

One thing is for sure: we still need to take greater care of our planet We have a responsibilty not to expend all of our natural resources in a reckless and greedy manner, and cutting down on the amount of electricity we use has positive consequences for the cleanliness of our air and our atmosphere.

If ‘global warming’ is the catchy buzzword (even if it is a myth) that encourages us all to be more responsible, perhaps it is a myth worth per-

CRISIS: An emergency meeting was called to discuss global warming

COLUMNIST 13

MARCH.16.2009 OPINION@gairrhydd.COM

Modern life is rubbish W

e’re practically living in the future now, aren’t we? That’s my theory, anyway, given that we’re living in a postmodern era. Or maybe even post-postmodern. I can’t really get my head around all of that.

There’s loads of stuff around now – modern stuff, technological stuff – which is meant to make life better and easier. There are loads of great things which we now take for granted. iPods, for example, I happen to think are fabulous; I love being able to carry my entire music collection within a little black box. I also happen to be a fan of 4oD. And, of course, mobile phones. All that jazz.

I do have a bit of a love-hate relationship going on, though. There’s also an equal (if not greater) number of things which I’m most ardently not a fan of with regard to modern life. I don’t like how every gadget has to do everything. All at once. While making the tea . And I really don’t like the current obsession with touch-screens – I'm too clumsy.

Is it just me, or is modern life very... complicated? I seem to live amid a myriad of half-filled in forms, which often seem to feature such obscure questions that I’d never really be that surprised if they asked me if any pets had died within the past decade.

God only knows I live in perpetual fear of identity theft, after having the bank cancel my debit card with no warning. I’d only been trying to book some plane tickets. I am now in a continual state of edginess about pissing off HSBC with my purchases – after all, they hold the Visa-related power.

But it’s all fine: we have the inter-

destroyed my own little corner of the rainforest by my graduation) and module results pinned up on the noticeboard, leading to an eye-for-an-eye kerfuffle in the corridor on results day.

There are a lot of students in the department; it's a pretty big kerfuffle.

You'd think the internet would make university life much, much easier for us all net. You can sort everything out online, from the purchase of your course books (watch out your bank doesn’t get narky about Amazon Marketplace, mind) to those photos from Monday night on Facebook. Best to untag the most incriminating ones before your lecturers see, though. The internet is a marvel: you’d think that it would facilitate university life tenfold.

Surely there should be some standardisation implemented?

However, Cardiff University’s relationship with the online world seems to be patchy, at best. Some departments seem to be utterly on the ball

Heroes W

hile I’m on the subject of the internet and its widespread (or not) use across the University, how could I fail to resist giving a mention to Facebook? After all, it’s way more popular than Blackboard.

Mark Zuckerberg: hero or villain?

For once, I’m really at a loss as to which category to place someone in.

On one hand, he created Facebook.

On the other hand, he did create Fa-

cebook.

Who would have thought that a humble website could prove to be both such a blessing and a curse for the student population?

So, the positives. You can keep in contact with people from one central hub. You can sort out events nice and easily. You can share pictures. You can procrastinate no end. Wicked.

Moving on to the negatives. You can find yourself coerced into staying

(a little too much in the some cases, it could be suggested), while others are veritable luddites in comparison.

Not that I’m pointing any fingers, but ENCAP are only just dragging themselves out of the Medieval period.

I used to live with a couple of Psychology students. While they did have a lot of work to do (much more than an English Literature slacker like me), they seemed to have a remarkable ease of submission for their essays – they could do so on Blackboard. And they could get their results on Blackboard as well.

Not that difficult a concept, really – after all, you’d assume that that’s what the service was created for. But still, I was shocked: it seemed so convenient! If only I had things so easy.

Ah, ENCAP, how fond you seem of the printed word. Two copies of each essay handed in before 12pm on deadline day (I will personally have

and

MARK: hero or villain?

Maybe it’s natural that a department based around books will always hold a lingering fondness for paperbased content, but the inconsistency of its online presence is downright shocking.

Out of my five modules, two have a strong online presence. It’s incredibly helpful to have lecture slides available at the click of a button. If you skip a lecture, you can easily catch up (not that I’m recommending this as a course of action, obviously); if you need something to refer back to during exam periods, it’s there for you.

Hell, one legendary lecturer even gave us links to every single core text on the module online. Brilliant. Saves me bank-related aggro, anyhow.

Another module has a vague use of Blackboard. I can only assume that the other two tutors have yet to hear of its existence.

Surely there should be some kind of standardisation implemented? Even if not across the University as a whole

(although this would be preferable, given that students in all departments pay the same tuition fees), at least among departments.

While I can understand that some lecturers are always going to be more willing to embrace new technologies than others, it seems that students are being placed in a slightly confusing position: how much faith are we meant to put in Blackboard?

The redesign of online services and the (not especially popular) switch to MWE – integrating email, Blackboard and other things I’ve never cared enough to explore – implies that we ought to be giving a fairly hefty reliance to it. It is, allegedly, there for our convenience. But I’m still not sure; it all seems to depend upon the lecturer.

I seem to spend less time using

Is it just me or is modern life very complicated? these online services than I do puzzling over which modules it is that I’m meant to be using them for. That seems to defeat the point, really. it doesn’t save time and brainpower at all. I’m just even more confused than ever.

It needs to be all paper, or all online – a mix of the two leaves me feeling slightly wrong-footed, not to mention a little cheated. Go on, make life easier for us all. I mean, this is the future – isn’t it?

Villains in touch with people you couldn’t care less about. You find yourself invited to a ridiculous amount of things you don’t want to attend, but are too polite to decline, thus leaving your reply as the ever-nebulous ‘maybe’. Pictures of you in a drunk and disorderly state inevitably surface. You can procrastinate no end. Bugger.

Also, there’s something highly show-offish in inventing a website from your room in halls, isn’t there?

Although, if you’re number 52 out of 101 on a Time Magazine list of influential people by the age of 24, you’ve probably got a heads-up on most people.

Half of me wants to raise a salute to Zuckerberg for giving me such an effective and enjoyable waste of time; the other half of me wants him forever damned for the damage he’s doubtless done to my degree. I’m sure I’m not alone here.

14 POLITICS

MARCH.16.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

Disgraced Al-Bashir finally arrested by ICC The ICC remains in its infancy but is the arrest of Omar Al-Bashir a move toward global justice? Olivier Poncelet reports

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warrant of arrest has been proclaimed by the judges of the preliminary chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Omar Al-Bashir, the President of Sudan. It is the first time that such a decision has been taken by this court against a current head of state.

Created in 1998 by the Rome treaty, the ICC opened in July 2002, with a de mission to judge individuals guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed after July 2002. It is a permanent institution, independent from the UN. Its first trial only started in January 2009, against Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese warlord.

A lot of countries have expressed their concern over the ICC's decision Omar Hassan Al-Bashir is accused of war crimes and crimes against hu-

manity in the Darfur region. The accusation of genocide, however, wanted by the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, has been dropped.

Authoritarian and ruthless, AlBashir became the head of state in 1989 after leading the military putsch against the elected Prime Minister.

Since 2003, 300,000 people have died in Darfur according to the UN, but the numbers continue to spiral. International experts believe that around 2.7 million people were displaced because of the civil war, and around another 100,000 have died in camps from hunger and disease.

Al-Bashir’s disgusting behaviour is highlighted through his reaction to the warrant of arrest, threatening to kick out of the country international diplomats and NGOs. On the 5th of March, thirteen NGOs were expelled from the country. For instance, 'Médecins sans Frontières’, a French NGO, was ordered to leave the country. Unfortunately, they alone rule the hospital in Niertiti, where a meningitis epidemic has spread.

The Sudanese president has denounced the neo-colonialism of the

ICC, claiming that it was an attempt from the Western countries to colonize Sudan again. He publicly wondered why the United States should not be taken to court because of their crime against the Native Americans, and actions in Vietnam, Iraq and Hiroshima.

He proclaimed that ‘the ICC and everyone who works for it are under my feet’, which is seen to be a serious insult in the Arabic world.

the idea of a global justice. More than 50 years after the Nuremberg trial, an international court can now decide to arrest and judge a current head of state to protect its people. Nevertheless, two risks can be argued. Firstly, the credibility of the whole system of international justice is at stake. Al-Bashir

has already opted for a position of opposition and will not surrender easily to the ICC. Secondly, this decision of justice may hinder a political process of peace in the region. UN forces in the region will now have great difficulty in trying to maintain constructive talks with Khartoum.

This decision is a major step ahead for the idea of a global justice A lot of countries have expressed their concern over the ICC’s decision.

China, the first customer of Sudanese oil and accused of trading weapons to Khartoum, has declared itself against this decision, for fear it could hinder the peace process. The African Union, Egypt and Russia have also taken a position against this warrant.

This decision is a major step for

OMAR AL-BASHIR: Arrested for war crimes

Pudding attacked with pudding Jennifer Woods wonders whether throwing custard at politicians you disagree with is really the best way to get your point across

T

he news of the latest gunge attack’on an MP last week has once again brought to light just how hard it has become to contact our politicians, and shows just how far people will go to get their point across.

Lord Mandelson, the current Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, was gunged with green custard as he arrived at a summit on carbon emissions. Far from unusual, this attack is just the most recent in a line of outlandish signs of protests that have become almost the normal way of demonstrating political objection.

Victims of these ‘food fight’ attacks include Phil Woolas, Minister for Immigration, who copped a custard pie in the face as he spoke at Manchester University last year; the protestor disagreed with the suggestion that immigration should be limited.

In 2000, Nick Brown, the Agriculture minister at the time, had a

chocolate cake pushed into his face by angry farmers while Clare Short and Ann Widdicombe have both suffered the embarrassment of custard flan assaults.

Of course, possibly the most famous of these attacks occurred a few years ago when John Prescott punched his way to public acclaim after a pointblank egging.

This attack is not a serious protest As funny as these attacks may seem, if they are put in the view of wider political protest, they may actually be an indicator that people feel their views are not being listened to, taken account of, or even taken seriously. Is this style of protest working though? Are opinions being heard?

Should people simply email in their concerns at the risk of being ignored?

To be honest, I think this style of protest is actually quite funny, but it's not a serious method of political protest. Actions such as these don’t really achieve anything; all they really do is put a smile on the face of commuters on the 8am Pendolino to London.

They are radical and amusing, but not really a serious sign of protest. If I asked any of you now, I bet the majority of you would have heard this story, but only a minority would actually know what the protest was about.

The same would occur with emails too though; opinions would still not really be heard. It isn’t particularly newsworthy that someone emailed Parliament and asked for a cut in carbon emissions, mainly because it is probably quite a common thing. A lot of people do it. But there should still be something in place to ensure the public’s views are taken seriously, and that they know this, to prevent attacks such as this happening again.

Oh, and about the green custard

on Lord Mandelson: Leila Deen, a member of the protest group against carbon emissions ‘Plane Stupid’, has taken the blame for the ‘Mandelson Custard Affair’, apparently in protest over Lord Mandelson's support for a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Deen was quoted as saying “the only thing green about Peter Mandelson is the slime coursing through his veins.”

Which, if you ask me, seems to put her opinion across far more forcefully than a cup of dessert on the Minister’s back.

JUST DESSERTS?: Mandelson covered in custard

POLITICS 15

MARCH.16.2009 POLITICS@gairrhydd.COM

CCTV Britain: is this the end of civil liberty?

Are we living in a totalitarian police state that has destroyed our civil liberties? Jack Doran thinks yes, and blames New Labour

U

nder the rule of New Labour and the premiership of Tony Blair, our young men and woman were sent worldwide to instil democracy upon reluctant recipients. However, while we take such an aggressive, interventionist foreign policy, we must consider a home truth: what has happened to our own dream of freedom?

The 28th of February saw a meeting of minds in 7 cities across Britain.

The attendees of The Convention on Modern Liberty all shared one thing: a crippling sense of worry over the damage that has been done to our rights as individuals.

A selection of distinguished speakers, ranging from politicians to pop stars, voiced their concerns about Britain slipping, unnoticed, into a police state of silence and surveillance.

So, what is all the fuss about?

sense’ during the speech of the then Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw. Brutally carted out alongside a young man who came to his aid, Wolfgang was held under the Terrorist Act. A terrorist? I think not. It marked a concerning trend, supposed anti-terror legislation being used against peaceful, harmless individuals.

The same year saw the introduction of The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act. Citizens wishing to take their issues to Whitehall had been criminalized. No voicing of discontent could now be expressed within one kilometre of Parliament.

Surveillance

A key issue for civil liberties and a great concern for many is the protection of our privacy. It is a worrying thought that our statistics, movements and lives are increasingly becoming public property.

The single biggest threat to our liberty and privacy has been released under the leadership of this government. The issue I refer to is national ID cards. Gone will be the days when only the criminals fall under the monitoring eyes of authority, as the system prepares to roll out this year. Fears of a Big Brother style database state will become all the more realistic in this drastic measure supposedly designed to combat terrorism.

A national register is a powerful tool if it falls into the wrong hands Detention Without Trial In 1997 Tony Blair stormed into Number 10 amid a furore of hope and optimism. After nearly two decades of Conservative rule, New Labour fever grasped the nation. But it didn’t take long before the enemy of the state was established. 2000 saw the introduction of the Terrorism Act. The term ‘terrorist’ was broadened beyond recognition as police powers escalated. In certain circumstances citizens could now be stopped, searched, arrested and held for 48 hours, all without charge.

In this totalitarian attack, Blair’s

POLICE, CAMERA, ACTION: Is Britain a surveillance society? government managed to directly contradict the age old decree, Habeus Corpus. Dating back to 1215, it stated that no man should be held without judgement being brought. Freedom had taken a blow.

Under the law-making machine that was Blair’s government, further protection from the ‘terrorists’ was granted to us in the years that followed. On July 7th 2005, Muslim fundamental-

ists reacted to Britain’s antics in Iraq and the Middle East, throwing the state into a perceived state of emergency. In a trademark political move, Labour believed they had entered a highway for new legislation. The 2006 Terrorism Act aimed for the legal detention of terror suspects for 90 days. Blair was beaten; the figure was reduced to 28 days. However, through this process of debate, our civil liber-

ties had been severely damaged.

The Right to Protest At the core of any democracy lies one thing: free speech. One of the primary ways in which one can get their voice heard is through peaceful protest. As we discovered upon being taken to war in 2003, this voice may not always be listened to. Wars have been fought over the right to express ourselves and it is certainly not an issue to be taken lightly.

Freedom of speech is certainly not an issue we should be taking lightly If you think back to the Labour conference of 2005, you might remember a German-born pensioner became an unlikely hero. Walter Wolfgang made the mistake of leaking the word ‘non-

Legislation has been used against peaceful, harmless individuals

With no evidence suggesting an ID scheme aids the ‘war on terror’, the move seems justified simply on the grounds of its usefulness to the administration. Many are worried that this drastic and fundamental change will prove to be more dangerous than those in charge seem to believe.

Should such data fall into the wrong hands, be it by mistake or via election, a national register is a powerful tool.

Plans for a mass database containing details of phone calls and e-mails have been put on hold having been branded ‘Orwellian’ by the House of Lords earlier this year. With CCTV cameras springing up on every lamppost, street corner and public place, it is clear we are being watched and it is not only the deviants that need to be concerned.

16 LETTERS

OCTOBER.22.2007 MARCH.16.2009 LETTERS@gairrhydd.COM

letters@gairrhydd.com

Student Solidarity

We too often hear the view that young people today are not interested in politics. However, recent events at Cardiff University show that to be untrue.

A group of students took action in solidarity with the Palestinians last week by carrying out a successful occupation of a main lecture theatre.

I met with them and heard their concerns and outrage that their fellow students were under attack in Gaza, with a number of schools and Gaza’s University damaged or destroyed.

They won some of their demands for Cardiff University to cancel its investments in the arms trade. There is now an ongoing campaign to build on this victory and grant five scholarships to Palestinian students who have been affected by the conflict. I will be supporting this, but it’s good to note the success of this student occupation which shows that political activism is still alive amongst young people here in Wales.

the

Leanne Wood AC / AM Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales

Vote For Those Who Care Last night I and a friend attended the Elections Question Time event at the Great Hall. We had no affiliation with any candidates, but thought that it would be an interesting evening and hopefully we could learn more about the candidates.

I personally came away very disappointed. It seems to me that the winners of this election will be based on popularity rather than the candidates with the best policies.

Also, I was appalled that so many of the Sabbatical candidates and their campaign teams left before the Non-Sabbatical candidates had spoken. This is why I am writing this letter, in case it isn't covered elsewhere. Students should know that many people running in this

campaign are clearly doing it for themselves and not for the greater good of the Union. How can "wannabe-Presidents" expect respect from members of the executive next year if their priority was clearly to get to the pub as quickly as possible?!

All those who left should be ashamed of themselves. And in fact they should feel sorry for themselves as they missed out on the highlight of the evening. He may look like he should be in Busted or McFly, but Dominic Stone delivered the best speech of the night. He had passion in his voice and a really great sense of humour. You could actually feel that everyone (who was left) in the room was completely focused on him.

Overall, I enjoyed the evening, but I certainly lost a lot of faith in many of the candidates for walking out.

RON gets my vote.

Sally Coombs First Year Town and Country Planning

The Cardiff Uni Ritz

This is just in response to Corey Shefman's most recent piece about student residences.

What, exactly, does he expect? A four star hotel room? True, Cardiff rooms tend to be a bit smaller than those at other universities. However, we're not paying anywhere near the same amounts as them. I had one friend, last year, in Portsmouth, whose student loan didn't cover the cost of her residence. How was she supposed to survive the year? I'm also intrigued as to why, exactly, being able to have a shower and sit on the toilet at the same time is so disgusting. I understand it's a bit different for men, but really - it's all going down the plughole. It's not like it's all swilling around your feet.

Irregular mail delivery. I'm sure, if you were really so desperate, you could go down and ask for your mail.

It would hardly take too much effort.

True, maybe sometimes there are massive downsides to the University

Comments from the week’s news, opinion, features and sport at www.gairrhydd.com Supporting the Protest Liam -------

First off, you might want to give watching Sky News a rest – calling people who protest ‘lunatics’ is near the height of ignorance and straight out Bill O’Reilly’s dictionary! You might not agree with their cause, but in the eyes of anyone with any sense of ethics – the termination of a considerable investment in a company which has sold weapons and software used to perpetuate the suffering of thousands in Gaza alone should be seen as a very just cause.

The fact that BAE systems are going to be £225,000 out of pocket might not seem like that big a deal to you (after all, a plane won’t fly without wings ;) )– but there’s more to it than this ‘modest’ amount. I personally feel much more comfortable being represented by a University that has no dealings in the arms trade – why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t anyone feel (at the least) slightly uncomfortable on learning that their Uni effectively condones war and attempts to make a profit from it?

You call these people narrowminded – people who took the time out of their lives to ‘express solidarity’ with their fellow-man in a distant country, and then achieved their goal. Why? Maybe it is people like yourself who fail to be ashamed of

what is being done in your name with your money by your University that are the narrow-minded ones?

Jamie ------I wouldn’t go so far as to refer to people who protest as lunatics, but I would most definitely state that it is not a considerable investment, in the grand scheme of things. At least you can sleep comfortably at night Liam, safe in the knowledge that your university is not investing in BAE systems!

But how comfortably can you sleep knowing that Palestinians will still be murdered by Israelis in order to maintain the Jewish State of Israel? Can you sleep comfortably knowing that some brave Cardiff students occupied a lecture theatre and then gave up at the first sign of REAL conflict over their actions. The method of protest is an insult to the Palestinians who have had their land occupied by force, taken from them by force, by Israel. In a few weeks time every student will hardly recall the two days that some students sat in a lecture theatre and didn’t really disrupt anything…. It really is a shame that people try and ‘protest’ about things so half-heartedly. If they really wanted to make a difference they would give it all. Raging against the machine? Hardly.

Dr Kamalain Sha'ath President,

The Islamic University of Gaza ------LETTER RECEIVED BY STOP THE WAR COALITION We would like to express our sincere thanks and deep appreciation for all your conscious efforts, endeavours and demands to support the right to education, justice and freedom in Palestine.

We wholeheartedly support your peaceful protests against the blanket bombing of Gaza in general and the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) in particular which suffered extensive destruction and damage to all its buildings, academic facilities. Additionally more than 20,000 students, whose families have been agonizing from the suffocating siege of Gaza, have lost some members of their families and many others have lost their houses.

With great respect and admiration, we have been following all activities taking place in 19 British universities. Your brave campaign has strengthened both our hope and will that we are not alone in this just battle against unprecedented blatant injustices and flagrant violation of human rights in Palestine.

We are absolutely proud of you all and proud of your solidarity and support campaign for the right to education in Palestine which gives us bright light in the heart of the military occupation darkness.

We wish you full success in your supportive campaign and in achiev-

residences. But then think about what you get for your money. All your bills paid for you. Not having to arrange for internet, or your bed. Security (and, personally, I can't praise the security team enough. Last year, when I dislocated my knee, they were amazing. And remembered me and my flatmates, always asking after me).

And do you really, honestly believe that living in a house with a landlord means they'd take better care of you? Because if so, you're living in a dream world. Inside Hodge Hall, you may have mould. How many mice do you have? How many families screaming every single morning at 7 am? How many bags of rubbish left behind on your street for days?

Grow up and stop moaning.

Janine Stogdon Second Year Bioscience

forum

ing all your sensible demands which show a high level of awareness and commitment to defend basic human rights in Gaza at a time of obvious media bias and hypocrisy of many governments.

Rhys ------Somehow I just can’t help but think that most of the protesters were being used to some extent by the leaders, as it's quite a big jump to go from investing in arms to being responsible for killing people, and there is an uncomfortable merging of two different arguments.

Siân ------I read Peter Cullen’s letter in gair rhydd, and found it quite narrowminded.

First of all, no, you wouldn’t commandeer someone’s bedroom because how they invest their money is their own personal choice. But the university EXISTS for its students, and should take their views into consideration. Secondly, as for the point that £225,000 is quite modest, it still goes some way to funding something that these students are against, and as Tesco says, every little helps. Finally, you claim that these students “obviously had nothing better to do during their degree”. I’m sure many students fit as little work as they can in around marathon drinking sessions. I’m

not even referring to this particular topic, but as long as the view held is nothing illegal or harmful, I don’t see anything wrong with making your views known. I’d like to say well done to those students who (peacefully) stood up for something they believe in.

Jamie ------On reflection I can see how I may seem very unfair in my comments on the actions of the students at Cardiff University. However, I think that if you feel that agitated to do something, why not focus the effort into staging mass protest, joining up with other universities, making something happen on a larger scale..? We are a union of students are we not?

I do hope the winners of the elections this year do something more than just shift some furniture in Solus to make a bit more profit and get more money out of students pockets.. in case we didn’t notice, the drinks aren’t free… society membership is not free, nothing is free apart from pens and promotional t shirts. The Union, and this media outlet (gair rhydd) would do well to consider revolutionary student activities of time gone by, make the most of the unique position they find themselves in for this short period of time, not bicker internally about which society gets more money or who is to blame for the demise of IMG…

FEATURES 17

MARCH.16.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Points mean places

Features explains how the UK's recently announced points-based immigration laws will affect international students

I

n Issue 889 gair rhydd reported that the new points-based system to be introduced this month will see the UK Borders Agency only issuing visas to international students for up to four years of study, regardless of the length of students’ courses.

With more than 3,000 international students studying at Cardiff, these changes to the immigration system are likely to affect a significant number of undergraduates and postgraduates.

The new system is aimed at making the immigration system easier, fairer and more transparent. In order to gain entry clearance or to extend a visa while in the UK, an applicant has to be able to prove that they can score a required number of points.

Points can be awarded for having a sponsor, qualifications, and available maintenance funds. According to the UK Borders Agency, there will be less room for individual entry clearance officers to use discretion, instead putting the onus on the applicant to prove that they can score sufficient points.

“This is a radical change to the UK immigration system which is moving over to a points-based system based on the Australian model. Although the system is being gradually phased in,

able to show £5,400 living costs for their first year or £600 a month if the course is shorter than nine months.

Students extending their visa will also be required to show actual evidence of funding. This will include either proof that they have paid their tuition fees already or evidence of funds.

"This change will immediately affect some students" The Minister also confirmed that students already in the UK will only have to show living costs for two IMMIGRATION: pointing in the right direction? months and not a full year as originally from the end of March 2009, all stu- sponsibilities that include reporting anticipated. The Head of Student Addent applications will be assessed in students to the Home Office who do visory Services explains: “The Home Office recognises that these students this way”, explains Ben Lewis, Head not enrol or who do not attend.”

Universities UK, the body which have progressed satisfactorily and of Student Advisory Services.

“This change will immediately represents universities to government, have already demonstrated the abilaffect students who need to extend heard last week in a letter from the ity to support themselves in the UK their student visas and although final Minister for Immigration at the Home without the recourse to public funds, details are yet to be confirmed, it is Office, Phil Woolas, that students ap- which is great news for our current inlikely that the documentary evidence plying to come to the UK for a course ternational student community.

“On another positive note, the Govneeded to support an application will outside London for more than nine be more strict. In the future, as a li- months will have to show that they ernment has agreed to reconsider the censed sponsor, Cardiff University have sufficient funds to cover their four year maximum length of leave will also have to take on certain re- first year's tuition fees and also be and for all courses, the UK Borders

Agency will now grant a visa for the duration of the course including those which run to more than four years.”

Naveed Akram, currently an MBA student, hopes to renew his visa in January, but is concerned about the new system. He thinks the system could be discriminative towards poorer international students.

"A lot of my friends come to the UK so they can work and live on their own money rather than their parents.

The new points system means that several of them have been rejected as they haven't got the required bank balance before arriving in the UK." The University is advising any student who knows that they will have to apply to extend their visas after 31 March, to start making preparations now enabling them to provide evidence that they meet these financial requirements and can therefore score the necessary points for maintenance.

For more information, visit the Student Support Centre any afternoon between 1pm and 4pm or call 02920 874844 to arrange a morning appointment. Alternatively, visit: www.cardiff.ac.uk/ studentsupport and click on ‘International student support’.

The true heroes of Kilimanjaro Susanna Byers highlights the treatment of porters on Mount Kilimanjaro

S

tanding tall in the north of equatorial Tanzania is the snow-capped peak of the ‘Roof of Africa’, Mount Kilimanjaro. At 5895m, this looming geographical feature is Africa’s highest point, and it seems to be the pinnacle of Africa’s diverse claims on nature.

Kilimanjaro has indeed been able to lure in many a trekker, keen to tackle the Uruhu summit and all that Africa can throw at them, and has recently attracted the attentions of the British public as some of our nation’s bestloved celebrities reached the summit in aid of Comic Relief.

It all seems rather fitting: a group of well-paid, much-loved public figures attempt the arduous trek to Africa’s highest point in aid of a charity that raises money for the disadvantaged and impoverished, many of whom are

actually in Africa.

Yet, there is a grey cloud over the campaign which most of us will not be aware of, let alone think to question. This is the question of the porters who accompany any trek up to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Yes, unfortunately, along with nature’s beauty come the rumblings of scams and mistreatment which, ironically, a charity like Comic Relief is fighting against.

The porters for climbers going up Kilimanjaro are Tanzanians who will carry much if not all of your load for you, and without them, it's unlikely you'll reach the top.

Unfortunately, the average climber is unaware of the exploitation of these poverty-stricken men who are just trying to earn a living. Yet the porters are still barely able to earn a proper living: the average pay for them is re-

ported at 6000 Tanzanian shillings per day for the ‘easiest’ route, and 8000 Tsh for the other routes.

At the time of going to press, earning 6000Tsh a day is the same as

Porters earn as little as £3 a day for aiding climbers roughly £3 for us. It is said that they mainly rely on tips for their source of income, yet most tourists will give their tips to their guides to distribute, who reportedly take an overly high percentage for themselves.

The porters are also not meant to carry more than 20kg, including their own possessions, yet reports state that they will often carry about 25kg. Not much of a difference, but then, I’m

sure when you have it on your head for five to six days at very high altitudes, the extra 5kg cannot be a great help.

They carry the mountain gear and all the other caboodle which will keep climbers such as Cheryl Cole and Chris Moyles warm, yet many of them will not have even half of the mountain gear that the paying climbers have to help.

They are rarely adequately clothed, and can suffer from hypothermia and altitude sickness, just like you might on the journey. In fact, in 2002, 3 porters died from hypothermia. Yet most of them are not contracted by the companies who organise the trips to the summit, so there is no one to ensure their safety or take responibility.

The porters will also sometimes eat only one meal a day and sleep in poor conditions in cramped mess huts.

One would hope that the recent achievement by our celebs will help to raise awareness of a problem like this.

Comic Relief will surely not gloss over this one, and I would like to think that they paid them accordingly.

However, the fact that organisations like the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project have to exist shows the extent of the problem and the need to raise awareness of the porters' plight to tourists, blinded by their goal of conquering the Roof of Africa.

So if a trek to Africa’s peak ever lures you to the equator, do your research and treat the porters with respect. Because without them, Mount Kilimanjaro's summit may elude you yet.

For more information on how you can help, visit http://www.kiliporters.org/

18 FEATURES

MARCH.16.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

Entertainment: the next g

Hours spent battling zombies on the Xbox or doing an 'exercise' sess for many of us. Aimee Steen finds out what new ways to waste our t

T

echnology is fantastic. It has created a whole plethora of ways for us to waste our time. From the Wii to the laptop, the number of gadgets for us to choose from means we need never be bored again. But as exciting as a 24-hour stint on the Xbox may be, it’s nothing compared to what’s coming soon in the future of technology.

There is a great deal of speculation about what the next generation of games consoles could do.

The advent of the Wii and the controllers that came along with it opened up a brand new door for game play.

Consoles of the future are likely to contain even more motion sensors, and potentially go a little bit further.

Hands-free gaming is on the cards: motion sensors - with much better levels of accuracy - would sit on the screen and monitor your actions, allowing you to effectively control your avatar with your own bodily movements. This would be a considerable step up from the webcam-style motion readers employed by games systems of the past, and would open up a whole new realm of gameplay.

There are times when you’re playing certain games that, no matter how many buttons you press and how loudly you swear at the screen, what you want to happen just doesn’t want to occur. It’s frustrating. Wouldn’t it be easier if the

game could read your mind? OK, so it’s not quite psychic ability, but technology is being developed that suggests the possibility of games being controlled by the mind. It may sound a bit unlikely, but sensors to register brain impulses and eye movement already exist; within a few years we could do away with controllers altogether and simply manipulate the game by thought.

Digital tattoos could let you feel the emotions of the characters If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing the thrill of racing alongside Lewis Hamilton but have come no closer than watching the Grand Prix, you could soon get your wish granted.

A system is being developed which captures real-time GPS data from races around the world and transfers it into compatible games consoles, letting gamers speed alongside their idols while the race is actually happening.

The whole process from car to game would take less than 5 seconds. If it proves popular, the system could be used numerous sports, allowing gamers to challenge their virtual abilities to those of real-life sportspeople.

The way in which we access games could be significantly altered using ‘cloud computing’. The idea is basically that instead of having games on discs, or even stored on your own hard drive, they would be stored in a remote location that could be accessed on any console via an internet connection. That means

you could play your own games anywhere. Pretty useful. There are a few issues that need to be resolved by the industry first, however. How to authorise users to only access their own games, preventing loss of profit on their part, is a main concern. But with plenty of businesses buying into cloud computing, the idea is certainly taking off. Of course, if you lose your broadband connection then you’re out of the game, adding a whole new level to gaming stress.

Though online

gameplay has already proved to be hugely popular, predictions for the future show a greater emphasis on bringing elements of social networking into the gaming industry on a larger scale.

Your games could be accessed from any location at all Of course, it's not time to say goodbye to good old war games just yet.

Ever-improving graphics and complex storylines will continue to be prominent features in future gaming.

Aside from games, there are many other items to keep us entertained that will be undergoing an overhaul in coming years.

The television might be a fairly traditional form of entertainment, but it’s still a good one. A staple of student existence, it’s a brilliant way to while away the hours that could be used writing essays. But if you thought that lounging around on the sofa with Neighbours, Countdown and Hollyoaks for company is as good as it gets, you were wrong. Because in the next

five years, we could be being visually entertained in ways we never thought possible. Technologically, that is.

‘Intelligent home entertainment management systems’ are the future of our television experience, according to industry experts. While the height of channel-selecting right now might be persuading your housemate to hand over the remote, the next few years could see you having a conversation with an on-screen avatar to help you decide which film you want to watch.

Not only will we have millions of channels to choose from, but a central file-managing system in your living room will hold all of your photographs, films and music, centralising home entertainment into one easy-access hub.

In the future, games may be able to read your mind With televisions looking set to be connected to the internet, and millions of channels becoming available, we’ll be able to tailor our choices to exactly what we want. You’ll be able to set

FEATURES 19

MARCH.16.2009 FEATURES@gairrhydd.COM

generation Push for the pool

sion on the Wii are common time are coming soon

AVATAR ASSISTANTS: Coming soon to an organic screen near you preferences according to your tastes, so your avatar will only offer what you want to see.

A screen that can be rolled up and put in your pocket has been created Physical technology means that the way in which we view our favourite programmes will change dramatically.

Screens will become so thin that we’ll be able to choose exactly how large they are and where to put them, from a main viewing position to on the coffee table.

An organic screen was recently demonstrated by General Electric, which is so fine that it can be rolled up and put in someone’s pocket. Interactive surfaces are already being used in restaurants for diners to choose their meals and engage in some entertainment while waiting for their meals; it might not be long before such things are sat in the middle of our living rooms.

If even a television the size of a

newspaper is too large for your liking, how about digital tattoos, or programmes transmitted through contact lenses? With digital tattoos, you'd be able to feel the emotions of the performing characters; digital contact lenses could be used just like ordinary ones, popped in at the beginning of the day and removed at the end. A report by Future Laboratory claims: "We could even get to the point where we'll be able to immerse ourselves in a football game, making it feel like you're running alongside your favourite player or berating the ref." The proposed lenses would work through a combination of micro-mirrors and lasers. Projected costs are estimated at around £400 upon their release in the next ten years.

Unfortunately, most of these things won’t be around for at least a few more years, by which time most of us will have left university. It does mean, though, that while your kids are sitting discussing the new Will Smith film with the TV avatar whilst simultaneously directing a game with solely with brain power, you’ll be able to wonder nostalgically at the days where a Playstation was enough to keep you entertained. For a little while.

Kate Kellaway-Moore investigates how you can help children with HIV

A

s a child there were probably a lot of things you wanted: a yo-yo, a spacehopper, a tamagotchi, a Furby, or a Pokemon… the list goes on.

All these things we wanted, we may even have felt we needed.

Imagine that there was something you needed, something you wanted and something that without which you would die. There are 1.9 million children in this position. Children that need lifesaving drugs to treat their HIV that can’t get them because of international law.

Treatment is an essential response to AIDS, yet it’s not reaching twothirds of those who need it because HIV drugs are too expensive for individuals and governments around the world to afford.

The reason behind this is that drugs companies hold the patent rights to their own drugs, and could charge excessive prices if they are the only producers of a particular drug. This of course is a fair principle; people should have the right to protect their products and be given necessary incentives to do research and development. However, when it comes to life-saving drugs, developing countries are unable to buy the patented drugs and face a time bomb as HIV mutates and becomes resistant to the affordable drugs.

In particular, children face the brunt of this because the system relies on the incentive of profitable marketing in order to encourage companies to research and develop new drugs.

This means that children are largely ignored by the pharmaceutical companies and consequently there are very few HIV drugs specifically designed for children. As a result, doctors often have to rely on guesswork when estimating the appropriate dose for treatment.

The Stop AIDS Campaign, which was joined by a Cardiff University group this year, has been pushing their weight behind a 'patent pool' for HIV drugs. A patent pool is a simple system were big pharmaceutical companies voluntarily put their HIV drug patents into an independently controlled pot. Then, for a fair price, those patents can be licensed to generic manufacturers who produce and sell them at a fair price and the pharmaceutical companies get a fair royalty.

TIE A RED RIBBON: 1.9 million children need HIV drugs Diarmaid MacDonald, coordinator of the Student Stop AIDS campaign argues “this system will revolutionise the way HIV drugs are made and sold, making it much easier for cheap, high-quality drugs to get to the people who need them the most. With a patent pool, the inventors get rewarded for coming up with their fantastic new drugs, and people across the world get life-saving drugs at a price they can afford.”

Drugs companies can charge excessive prices UNITAID, which is an international drug purchasing facility, has begun investigating the possibility of establishing a patent pool for HIV drugs, and are due to make their decision on whether to make it operational very soon. However, in order for the pool to become a reality the campaign needs to reach the Government.

In the next few weeks, Cardiff University Stop AIDS Society will

be getting students to fill in as many ‘Push for the Pool’ action cards as possible and will be involved with a number of campaign days, culminating in a day of action with all other Stop AIDS societies in Parliament in London on the 24th March.

Beth Horsley, Vice President of the society, says: “We need as many people as possible to join the Push for the Pool to ensure it happens. By signing an action card or e-petition and helping Cardiff Stop AIDS Society with the campaigns you’ll be able to play a vital role in the effort to Stop AIDS at this critical time.

With so little time between now and the decision, it will be a fast moving and exciting campaign."

Whilst there is a realisation that the system is not working, so far there has been little suggestion from Western governments that this is going to change. However 2009 could be the year for change. For the first time there have been steps to establishing a system which could reward pharmaceutical companies for research and development and get access to treatment for those who need it. So why not throw your weight behind the ‘Push for the Pool’?

On the 18th March Cardiff University Stop AIDS Society will host a big day of campaigning called ‘Child’s Play’ in the union for the ‘Push for the Pool’ focusing on the lack of research done on children’s HIV medication due to the current system that relies on them being a lucrative market to justify it. As well as generally talking about the ‘Push for the Pool’ and its benefits! This will involve getting people to get into our inflatable ball pool frog to have their photo taken for a giant ‘Push for the Pool’ petition! We will also be launching our ‘Penny for a Tenner’ campaign this day and offering a penny sweet (or more) to collect up people’s loose change!

Have you voted?

Friday 13th March 10amTuesday 17th March 10pm vote online at www.cardiffstudents.com

TAF-OD 21

MARCH.16.2009 INTERVIEWS@gairrhydd.COM

Y Ffrengig taclo'r Saeson Gwenllian Edwards and Heledd Brooks-Jones Taf-Od contributors

W

edi noson gynnar nos Fercher, bore arferol oedd yn ein disgwyl ddydd Iau. Dosbarth llafar Ffrangeg wythnosol am ddeg o’r gloch y bore sy’n dinistrio unrhyw gyfle o bartïo ar nos Fercher – noson orau’r wythnos. Codi’n anfodlon a wnaethom a llusgo ein traed yr holl ffordd i Park Place. Cyrhaeddasom ychydig funudau’n hwyr, fel arfer. Dim sôn am ein tiwtor a sibrydion “ten minute rule” yn lledu ar draws yr ystafell. Rhoddodd s n y drws yn agor gyllell yng ngobaith pob un ohonom. “Bonjour” llawn eironi oedd yn ei chyfarch. Heddiw, pwnc ein trafodaeth oedd ‘La France Vs GB’. Yn hollol anymwybodol gosodwyd yr unig dair Cymraes i ddadlau o blaid Prydain Fawr a’r gweddill (a oedd yn Saeson) o blaid Ffrainc. Falle oedd noson yn Oceana werth ei cholli wedi’r cyfan.

Dyma ni, tair Cymraes cenedlaetholgar yn mynd ati i amddiffyn nodweddion gwladwriaeth nad ydym yn teimlo’n rhan ohoni. Er mawr syndod i’r tiwtor a oedd yn disgwyl i i fedru rhestri ei rhinweddau yn hawdd a bod yn falch ohonynt, ein pwynt cyntaf i’w hamddiffyn ar ôl saib go hir, oedd ‘fish’n’chips’! Wrth gwrs, roedd yr ochr Ffrengig ynn gyflym i ymateb drwy rhestri yr holl ‘nouvelles cuisines’ a bwydydd traddodiadol y ‘départements’ heb sôn am amrywiaeth o winoedd gwahanol. 1-0 i ‘les bleus’. Er gwaethaf ein hymdrechion i fawrygu ffasiwn Llundain, rhoddodd ‘haute-couture’ Paris gweir i ddyluniau diflas a chyffredin Llundain. Gwastraff amser yn amlwg oedd trafferthu i ddefnyddio diwylliant ffasiwn Prydain. Yng nghanol y frwydr unochrog hon, diddorol oedd sylwi fod hyd yn oed y Saeson yn falch eu bod nhw ar ochr y Ffrancwyr. Yn wir, er nad oeddem ni’n tair erioed wedi annog ‘Prydeiniaeth’, nid oeddem chwaith wedi crybwyll o’r blaen pa mor brin yw ei rhinweddau!

Oni fyddai hyn yn codi gobeithion y Cymry Cymraeg sy’n gwrthyfela yn erbyn y syniad o fod yn perthyn i Brydain? Wedi’r cyfan, pwy wir sydd eisiau bod yn rhan o deyrnas sy’n cael ei rheoli gan deulu sydd ddim hyd yn oed o dras Prydeinig? (Pwynt ymosodol nesaf y gwrthwynebwyr yn y dosbarth). Fel ardaloedd lleiafrifol Ffrainc, mae Cymru yn brwydro i gynnal traddodiadau a diwylliant mewn ffordd hynod o geidwadol ac yn llwyddo i gadw’r wlad rhag llygredd yr Unol Daleithiau. Gan ein bod yn gysgod dan teitl ‘Prydain Fawr’ caiff ein hymdrechion ni eu tagu gan ddylanwadau diwylliant arwynebol yr Unol Daleithiau. Wrth gwrs ein bod yn falch o’n hunaniaeth Gymreig, fodd bynnag ‘Prydeinwyr’ ydym ni i weddill y byd.

Sicr eich bod wedi cael y profiad o deithio dramor a cheisio esbonio eich bod yn Gymry a’r cwestiwn ‘isn’t that

in England?’ yn eich cynhyrfu. Oni bai fod Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf neu Glyndwr arall yn codi i’n harwain, o dan label Prydain yr arhoswn! Beth bynnag, doedd dim dewis gennym ni yn y dosbarth ond plymio’n ddwfn i’n meddyliau a dyfeisio syniadau i’w chefnogi.

Nodwedd gwerthfawr sydd gan Brydain i’w chynnig yw safon llenyddiaeth ei llenorion sy’n enwog yn fyd eang. Yn ddi-os yr oeddem yn siwr y byddai rhestr maith llenorion dylanwadol Prydain yn trechu ymdrechion y gleision... Shakespeare, Chaucer, Wordsworth, Hardy, Dickens. O’r di-

wedd yr oeddem wedi sgorio pwynt yn erbyn ochr ffrengig yr ystafell!

Ond yn hollol annisgwyliedig dyma’r gwrthwynebwyr yn torri ar draws ein dathliadau â dadleuon mai o’r cyfandir y daeth y rhan fwyaf o gysyniadau llenorion yr Ynysoedd Prydeinig a symudiadau ffrengig (symboliaeth, naturiolaeth, swrealaeth, dirfodaeth), sydd wedi siapio llenyddiaeth ddiweddar ein gwlad. Yn ogystal, er mawr syndod i ni, mae’n debyg mai Ffrainc sydd wedi cynhyrchu’r nifer mwyaf o ennillwyr y Wobr Nobel am Lenyddiaeth yn y byd. Sathru dros frwdfrydedd ein dadl a wnaethent -

Nid yw’n talu bod yn rhy hyderus yn rhy gynnar yn amlwg.

Am fod dadlau yn erbyn diwylliant Ffrainc yn profi’n dasg anobeithiol, troesom at wleidyddiaeth gan bwysleisio perthynas agos Prydain gydag archb er ac arweinydd y byd gorllewinol. Er bod y berthynas yn un ddadleuol does dim modd anwybyddu’r ffaith fod Prydain yn gynghreiriad pwysig i America. I’r gwrthwyneb, p er annatod o fewn Ewrop yw Ffrainc tra fod Prydain yn ynysig ei hagwedd yn wleidyddol ac yn ddaearyddol. Roedd dadleuon ochr Ffrengig y dosbarth yn ddi-baid a phob un ohonynt yn dal d r. Erbyn hyn, roeddem yn dechrau lino ar golli’r ddadl. Yr unig opsiwn oedd ar ôl oedd sôn am y frenhiniaeth. Â’n tafod yn ein boch, honi a wnaethom ei bod yn fuddiol i’r wlad ac yn rhoi elfen o barhâd nas gwn y Ffrancwyr ers iddynt or-ddefnyddio ‘Madame la Guillotine’ ar ddiwedd y ddeunawfed ganrif. Roedd y gwrthdaro yn y dosbarth yn adlewyrchu’r gystadleuaeth diriogaethol a fu rhwng Ffrainc a Phrydain yn gynharach yn y ddeunawfed ganrif, ac yn eironig bu rhan o hwnnw yng ngogledd America. O’r safbwynt hynny, rhaid oedd cyfaddef mai Ffrainc a ddiogelodd ei diwylliant a’i thraddodiadau yn well na Phrydain rhag y llif Americanaidd.

Beth bynnag, ymdrechwyd at ychydig o ‘entente cordiale’ cyn diweddu’r wers. Wedi’r cyfan onid William Gon-

cwerwr a’i drefn ffiwdal a luniodd ran helaeth o’r feddylfryd Brydeinig? Ar y llaw arall onid Prydain a faeddodd Ffrainc i sefydlu ei hymerodraeth yng ngogledd America ac ar draws y byd.

Gan gofio’r croeso arbennig a roddwyd i Sarkozy a’i wraig ar ei hymweliad i Lundain efallai teg rhagweld y bydd mwy o glosio rhwng y ddwy wlad o fewn y Gymuned Ewropeaidd.

Efallai mai tair Cymraes sydd yn anymwybodol yn or-feirniadol o Brydain yr ydym. Wrth reswm, gwlad leiafrifol yw Cymru dan ormes bwerus Lloegr – does bosib ein bod am fod yn llwyr gefnogol o Deyrnas sy’n ein gwladychu, (yn enwedig wrth ddadlau yn erbyn gwlad y mae’r tair ohonom wedi dewis astudio’i hiaith yn y Brifysgol!). Fodd bynnag, cyn gwers llafar 19.02.09 lle yr oedd rhestru rhinweddau Prydain yn orfodol, mae’n ddilys dweud ein bod ni wedi cymryd ei goruchafiaeth yn ganiataol.

Erbyn heddiw, y mae’n hollol amlwg bod dylanwad America yn prysur ddinistrio unrhyw fymryn o ddiwylliant sydd gan yr ynysoedd fel undod i’w cynnig.

Wrth gwrs, gêm rygbi pencampwriaeth chwe gwlad eleni o’r neilltu, wrth ddadlau o blaid Cymru yn nadl “Le Pays de Galles Vs France”, fyddai ochr angerddol ‘les rouges’ wedi ennill er gwaethaf cyfoeth diwylliannol Ffrainc a thim Cymru’n rhydd i ddathlu buddugoliaeth yn erbyn Ffrancwyr o’r diwedd!

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MARCH.16.2009 SCIENCE@gairrhydd.COM

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 23

Keeping abreast Priya Raj takes a look at one of the most common cancers

B

reast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast in women and men. It is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidents, both sexes counted), and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.

The breasts sit on the chest muscles that cover the ribs. Each breast is made of 15 to 20 lobes. Lobes contain many smaller lobules. Lobules contain groups of tiny glands that can produce milk. Milk flows from the lobules through thin tubes called ducts to the nipple. The nipple is in the centre of a dark area of skin called the areola. Fat fills the spaces between the lobules and ducts.

There are several risk factors for breast cancer The breasts also contain lymph vessels which lead to small, round organs called lymph nodes. Groups of lymph nodes are near the breast in the axilla (underarm), above the collarbone, in the chest behind the breastbone, and in many other parts of the body. The lymph nodes trap bacteria, cancer cells, or other harmful substances.

Since the breast is composed of

identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer can also occur in males.

Cancer begins in cells, the so-called building blocks that make up tissues.

Tissues make up the organs of the body. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.

Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should.

These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumour. Such tumours may be benign or malignant; benign tumours are not cancerous.

They are rarely life-threatening nor do they invade other tissues. Malignant tumours, however, are cancerous.

Cells from malignant tumours can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs, spreading to other parts of the body. Cancer cells spread by breaking away from the original (primary) tumour and entering the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The cells invade other organs and form new tumours that damage these organs. This spread of cancer is known as metastasis.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK. More than 45,500 women are diagnosed with the disease each year. That's 125 women a day. The disease causes almost 12,500 deaths each year. Nobody knows exactly why women develop the disease, but there are several risk factors: age (the chance of getting breast cancer rises as a woman gets older), genes (there are two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, that greatly increase the risk, and women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested), or personal factors (beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55). Other risks include being overweight, using hormone replacement therapy, taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35.

The first symptom of breast cancer is typically a lump that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue.

Often the first objective indication of breast cancer is detected by a mammogram. Lumps may also be discovered

in the armpit region or above the collarbone. Discovery of a breast lump should always be taken seriously by both the doctor and the patient.

Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge. Pain is an unreli-

The Welsh School of Pharmacy found the basis for an anti-cancer drug able tool in determining the presence of breast cancer. When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin referred to as peau d'orange.

Breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be the final outcome of multiple environmental and hereditary factors. Some of these factors include lesions to DNA such as genetic mutations. Mutations that can lead to breast cancer have been experimentally linked to oestrogen exposure.

Beyond the contribution of oestrogen, research has implicated viral oncogenesis and the contribution of ionizing radiation in causing genetic mutations. Failure of immune surveillance, a theory in which the immune system removes malignant cells throughout one's life, is thought to be another factor. Abnormal growth factor signaling in the interaction between stromal cells and epithelial cells can facilitate malignant cell growth.

For example, tumors can induce blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) by secreting various growth factors further facilitating cancer growth inherited defects in DNA repair genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and P53.

The diagnosis of breast cancer is

made in various ways such as a clinical breast exam, in which the size, shape, consistency of any lump is determined. Diagnostic mammograms are another way in which breast cancer may be confirmed. They take x-rays of the breasts enabling any unusual breast changes, such as a lump, pain, thickening, nipple discharge, or change in breast size or shape to be determined. In addition to mammograms, ultrasound and MRI scans may also be considered. Quite often your doctor may refer you to a surgeon or breast disease specialist for a biopsy.

Fluid or tissue is removed from your breast to find out if there is cancer.

Some suspicious areas can be seen on a mammogram but cannot be felt during a clinical breast exam. Doctors can use imaging procedures to see the area and remove tissue. Such procedures include ultrasound-guided, needle-localized, or stereotactic biopsy.

If cancer cells are discovered, the pathologist can tell what kind of cancer it is. The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma where abnormal cells are found in the lining of the ducts. Lobular carcinoma is another type with abnormal cells located in the lobules.

Breast cancer treatment depends upon many factors, including the type of cancer and the extent to which it has spread (the stage). Ultimately, the earlier the stage of disease the better the overall outcome. Women with breast cancer have many treatment options available to them. These include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy. Many women receive more than one type of treatment.

The choice of treatment depends mainly on the stage of the disease.

Cancer treatment can be either local therapy or systemic therapy. Local therapy involves surgery and radiation. They remove or destroy cancer in the breast. When breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body, local therapy may be used to control the disease in those specific areas.

Systemic therapy involves chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapies are systemic treatments.

They enter the bloodstream and destroy or control cancer throughout the

body. Some women with breast cancer have systemic therapy to shrink the tumour before surgery or radiation.

Others have systemic therapy after surgery and/or radiation to prevent the cancer from coming back. Systemic treatments also are used for cancer that has spread.

Earlier diagnosis leads to a better overall chance

In fact, the Welsh School of Pharmacy discovered the molecular basis behind Tamoxifen, a type of hormone therapy for breast cancer as well as why many women develop a resistance to the drug. Tamoxifen is given to most women for five years after they are first diagnosed with breast cancer to help stop the disease returning. However, in time some women develop resistance to the treatment, meaning their cancer is more likely to recur.

The drug usually switches off a breast cancer gene ErbB2 via a protein called Pax2. Pax2 acts as the ‘switch’ to keep ErbB2 turned off. Tamoxifen resistance occurs when ErbB2 remains switched on. The findings have just been published in full in the journal Nature.

Dr Iain Hutcheson, Welsh School of Pharmacy has previously stated: “We have been developing and characterising these resistant cells for the last four years. They are an extremely rare and highly valuable resource, which we have made available to researchers throughout the world to further aid our understanding of response and resistance to antihormonal agents in breast cancer.”

There is no denying breast cancer is an upsetting and emotional experience. However it is important to remember you are never alone. There is much support and help available with new developments being discovered every day. If you find a lump of any kind, then do not hesitate to contact your local GP. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.

JOBS & MONEY 25

MARCH.16.2009 JOBS@gairrhydd.COM

Can you handle the crunch?

As the credit crunch continues to bite, the importance of money management has never been greater, writes Simon Turner

T

he hallmarks of the credit crunch are plain to see. The banks are on life-support, and are requiring fresh injections of capital in the form of massive Government bail-outs just to stay afloat.

As the British taxpayer prepares to foot the bill for years to come, the banks’ drawn purse strings will continue to stifle borrowing for the foreseeable future, offering scant repayment to the hand that currently feeds them.

As the City reels from its excesses of the last two decades, it now has no option but to tighten its belt lest the whole system collapses beneath it.

Certainly it looks as though the next few years will be lean ones for the banks. But, while the City ‘Fat Cats’ temporarily exchange their cream for milk, what about the rest of us? Already struggling for breath, can we tighten our belts any further?

The situation will get worse before it starts to improve If recent news is our measure then it appears not, for the forebodings of an increasingly difficult future may mean that we have already run out of notches.

The harbingers of financial doom began mid-February with Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, confirming that we are ‘in a deep

recession’ that will continue throughout the year. Central forecasts of a tentative recovery starting in 2010 were then quickly scotched by David Kern, chief economist at the British Chamber of Commerce as ‘unduly optimistic’.

More bad news followed in the form of an admission by a senior Government minister who remarked that the current crisis may be ‘more extreme’ than the crisis of the 1930s and perhaps ‘the worst for more than a hundred years.’

These statements were vindicated by data from the Office for National Statistics which revealed that current unemployment levels are in excess of 1.97 million, the highest they have been in over a decade. Furthermore, figures showed that among the hardest hit are young people between the ages of 18 to 24, approximately 12% of whom are now jobless. Worryingly, the situation is expected to get worse before it improves with senior economist Tony Dolphin predicting that ‘unemployment will exceed 3 million during 2009.’

Perhaps more perturbing still, this year has been described as ‘one of the worst [in which] to graduate for nearly two decades’ by Martin Birchall, managing director of market research company High Fliers Research. According to a survey by the company, nearly half of graduate recruiters have been forced to cut jobs this year, while recruitment targets among 100 of the top U.K. firms have been slashed by 17%. Meanwhile, a recent report by

RBS group that it still intends to pay its staff over £775 million in current and deferred bonuses.

As the dust slowly settles and the bankers retire from the public spotlight, they do so safe in the knowledge of their long-term financial security, gained in no small part from the spoils of the City’s lucrative, performancerelated bonus culture. Ironically, it is this very ‘performance’, so handsomely rewarded, that has brought a nation’s economy to its knees.

To get it back on its feet will require

This is one of the worst years in which to graduate for over 20 years CRUNCH TIME: How will graduates cope? the Association of Graduate Recruiters has found that those successful in gaining employment in 2009 will have their starting salaries frozen at last year’s average, the first time that this has happened in living memory.

While graduate recruitment is on the slide, student debt is firmly on the increase. Indeed, this year’s set of graduates will be the first to have accumulated all the extra debt associated with three years worth of tuition topup fees. As a result, the debt burden for the class of 2009 is estimated to be between £18,000 and £20,000 per student. This figure is set to increase,

with first years typically totting up more than £7,000 debt per annum.

Second year undergrad, Sophie Richardson, expects this academic year to cost her ‘approximately £9,000’.

Spiralling student debt and high taxation will be the millstones around our collective neck for at least a generation. In response to the latter, the former bosses of RBS. and HBOS have, of late, made ‘profound and unreserved’ apologies.

However, the veracity of their atonements has since been questioned in light of the subsequent announcement by the now-government-owned

the taxpayer’s support for many years, if not decades. Inevitably, a large part of this support will come from current and future generations of students, a cruel injustice given their lack of connection to the country’s financial crisis. That the same group continues to be penalised by excessive top-up fees means that much of the burden will be suffered by those perhaps least wellequipped to bear it.

NEED TO RECLAIM UNFAIR BANK CHARGES? FIND OUT HOW IN NEXT WEEK'S gair rhydd.

Ground floor SU This week's top jobs: Experienced Bar & Waiting Staff Required Experienced bar & waiting staff required for various assignments in and around the city centre on Saturday 21 March. Please contact the Jobshop if you are available and would like to work.

Unistaff Jobshop, ground floor, Students’ Union building Tel: 029 20781535/6 Email: jobshop@cf.ac.uk

26 XPRESS

MARCH.16.2009 XPRESS@gairrhydd.COM

Listen LIVE Online 2 Girls, 1 Mic

Just Added

Bringing It Back Home

A selection of the best songs added to the playlist this week that can be heard during the day.

1. The Maccabees - No Kind Words 2. Dinosaur Pile-up - Traynor 3. Metric - Help I'm Alive 4. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero 5. Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls

Battle of the Bands FINAL 2 girls, 1 mic is a feast of fun for your ears, packed full of more features, entertainment and feIsty females than you can shake a stick at. Need a break? Then listen in for a cup of tea and some Afternoon Delight as Sally and Susie bring you the down low on what's occurring in Cardiff, as well as a battle of epic proportions with North Vs South (beats Varsity). And of course join them in the search for the One Mic!

Friday: 12pm till 1:30pm

Mainstream

Monday 9am-11am Filing the Gap with Emma & Alexis 2pm-3:30pm Stark and Moo Show 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Tom

Tuesday 9am-11am Three Girls & A Gay 12pm-1:30pm B.A.M with Rebekkah and Mikey 1:30pm-3pm Loud Noises 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Luke and Ed

Thursday: 8pm till 11pm Tune in on Thursday 8-11pm as Xpress brings you exclusive coverage from the Battle of the Bands final. Four bands will be giving it their all, in what has so far been a truly epic contest, to try to win £300 prize money and a slot at this year's summer ball.

Friday 9am-11am Welcome In The Weekend 12pm-1:30pm Two girls, One mic 1:30pm-3.30pm Milo's Mashup 3.30pm-6pm Teatime with TNT

Saturday 10:30am-12pm Stay Asleep with Henry and Oscar 12pm-1:30pm Jack and Tom Delusion 1:30pm-3pm Three Man Bundle

Sunday 1pm-2:30pm Laura, Dora & Lucy Show 3pm-5pm The Student Radio Chart Show

Wednesday

Sports

9am-10am ABC 10am-11:30am Lily Star 11:30am-12:30pm Gossip Girls 12:30pm-2pm Lynn and Louisa 2pm-3:30pm Hilary and Heather Show 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Rich and Britt

Mon 12pm-2pm Sports Show Thu 12pm-2pm Sporties Thu 6pm-7pm American Sports Show

Thursday 9am-11am Kat and Ash Show 2pm-3:30pm Madame Audrey's 3:30pm-6pm Teatime with Sam and Greg

Speech Mon 11am-11:30am The Trawlermen's Sweethearts Mon 11:30am-12pm The Filibusters Tue 11am-11:30am The Xpress Test Tue 11:30am-12pm Speech Round-up Thu 11am-12pm The Weekly Summit Fri 11:00am-11:30am A Beginner's Guide to...

Fri 11:30am-12pm Across The Corridor Sun 11am-12pm Hair of the Dog Sun 9pm-10pm Story Time with Daneka

Tune in every Wednesday to hear this troublesome trio take over the airwaves as they play host to their very own musical panel, playing eclectic songs from all genres! Hector, Kate and Steve hope to play four of their own handpicked songs during every show. To do so however, they have to be able to successfully link the previously played song to one of their own – let the battle commence!

Wednesday: 8pm till 9pm

Specialist

Live Music

Indie

Thu 8pm -11pm Battle Of The Bands FINAL

Mon 6pm-7pm Xhibition Mon 8pm-9pm Gig 'n' Mix Mon 9pm-10pm Holly and Bo's Radio Show Mon 10pm-11pm Sam & Will Show Wed 10pm-11pm Hot Pap Sat 6pm-7pm Mrs Goggins Backroom Sun 5pm-6:30pm The Toni and Zoe Show

Pop

Classical and Jazz Sun 6:30pm-7:45pm Sunday Classics Sun 7:45pm-9pm Jazz Society Show

Hip-Hop/RnB Fri 10pm-12am Flo Jam Sessions Fri 12am-1am $traight Ca$h with DTR

Rock/Metal/Punk Mon 12pm-1am Superstar DJ's, Here We Go! Tue 8pm-9pm Rock! Paper Scissors Tue 10pm-11pm Hedonism Wed 11pm-12am Subversion Sat 7pm-8pm The Argument

House/Electro/ Dance Wed 9pm-10pm Housemasters Fri 8pm-9pm Hype Machine

Sat 3pm-4pm Push Pop

Pick 'n' Mix Mon 7pm-8pm Live Transmission Mon 11pm-12am Anything Alternative Tue 7pm-8pm Bill & Tom's Most Excellent Adventure Tue 9pm-10pm CUTV On The Radio Tue 11pm-12am Escape From The Pigeon Hole Wed 6pm-7pm Xposed Wed 7pm-8pm YAPS Wed 8pm-9pm Bringing It All Back Thu 7pm-8pm Curly Joe and Ginger’s Countdown Conundrum Thu 11pm-12am Dan and Petch’s 80s Hour of Power Thu 12am-1am Pete and Coralie Fri 7pm-8pm Full Body Immobilisation Fri 9pm-10pm The Essential Gig Guide

World Music Tue 6pm-7pm Global Grooves Fri 6pm-7pm International Superhits

Contact The Studio E-mail: studio@xpressradio.co.uk Phone: 02920781530 Text: 07722263888

FIVE MINUTE FUN 27

MARCH.16.2009 FMF@gairrhydd.COM

found on facebook Housemate done something stupid?

sudoku.

1. Log on to the book of face 2. Join the group â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Found on Facebookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3. Upload embarrassing photos 4. Pick up gair rhydd on Monday and laugh

EASY

Quick Crossword Across

Down

1. Recognise as true (11) 9. Abhorred (5) 10. Wearing away process (7) 11. Nationality of Chelsea player Tal Ben-Haim (7) 12. Inuit abode (5) 13. Packaged tightly in plastic (6-7) 16. Giants (5) 18. Furthest away (7) 20. Trade ban (7) 21. Rio ___, John Wayne film (5) 22. Expensive beef (6,5)

2. One who provides food and services for a party (7) 3. Touch lightly with the elbow (5) 4. Throughout the year (4,2,4,3) 5. Curiously unusual objects (7) 6. Interrogate (5) 7. Someone who lights a new cigarette from the stub of the last one (5-6) 8. Provided (that) (2,9) 14. One of the two apertures in the middle of the face (7) 15. Commensurately (3,4) 17. Jewish leader (5) 19. First appearance (5)

Send more oddities!

MEDIUM

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HARD

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6 8

7 9

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28 LISTINGS The Listings Top Five... ...alternatives to the gym!

Is it the aroma of BO, or the thought of being ogled while you're on the treadmill that puts you off venturing into Park Place? Either way, there are plenty of alternatives...

1. Go running The obvious alternative, but much more appealing now that the sun is making token appearances!

2. Organize some 5-a-side Don't be confined to just football. It's easy to rent the hall at Talybont for any sport you want - netball, basketball, volleyball etc. Undoubtedly the funniest way to exercise as you get to hang out with all your mates, and it's a good excuse to go for a pint afterwards!

3. Do a class The mirrors can be offputting, but if you can get over that, Park Place offers a wide variety of dance/yoga/combat classes, so even if aerobics isn't your things there will be something for your taste.

4. Go swimming

Monday

16th March CARDIFF COUNTY AND VALE OF GLAMORGAN JUNIOR SCHOOLS MUSIC FESTIVAL @ ST.DAVID’S HALL A celebration of music brought to you by the little ‘uns! In the form of choirs, brass bands and guitar ensembles, it’s enough to make your heart feel all warm!

7.00pm, £9-£16 10 FEET LIVE @ 10 FEET TALL Rock out in the Rock Room to some of the finest offerings in local, raw talent.

8.30pm–late, contact venue for prices TRAGEDY: A METAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEEGEES @ BARFLY The hamster-on-helium sounds will be reverberating through the streets of Cardiff tonight as this metal tribute take to the stage.

7.30pm, £6 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS @ THE NEW THEATRE A musical which has yet to gain the acclaim it deserves; a nerdy florist in a rundown part of America raises a monstrous plant that feeds off human blood! Some Motown ‘shoop shoop shoopwop’ tuneage and a few tongue-in-cheek gags will leave you begging for more!

7.30pm daily /Matinees 2.30pm (Thurs & Sat), £8-£28 (runs until 21st March) VODKA ISLAND @ TIGER TIGER Castaways galore at this frankly AMAZING student night! Drown your sorrows in double voddies and a hell of a lot of cool people!

Free before 9pm, £4 thereafter

MARCH.16.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Tuesday

17th March YEAR OF THE PUG @ CLWB IFOR BACH A range of musical tastes will be satisfied at this popular club night – from emo to electro and punk to power ballads, Welsh Club fails to disappoint, yet again!

10.30pm, £3 AESTHETICS: KL + VETO + DJ KAY @ BUFFALO BAR A trio of sets worthy of a mention – mosey on down to Buffalo for a sampling of musical wizardry!

8pm–3am, £3 / £2 GET LOST @ LIQUID Liquidise your sanity for the night and let loose at this bad boy of a club on St. Mary’s street!

9pm-3am, £3.50 COMEDY CLUB @ THE UNION Leave your worries well and truly behind you and let the good times roll, as a series of comedians grace the union stage until you're all laughed out!

8.00pm, £4 ACT ONE PRESENTS: THE MERCHANT OF VENICE @ YMCA Another offering from our student thespians as they recreate one of Shakespeare’s classic plays. When Venetian merchant Antonio approaches Shylock for a loan, Shylock responds with an interesting compromise if the loan is not paid back on time.

Dark times ahead and some fantastic acting talent!

7.00pm–10.00pm, contact SU box office for prices

Wednesday 18th March

MARY POPPINS @ WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE The childhood favourite detailing the story of a nanny with magic clicking fingers and a gravity-defying umbrella comes to the Bay’s premier theatre for the whole month... wowzers!

Mon–Sat 7.30pm/Matinees 2.30pm (Thurs–Sat), contact venue for prices (runs until 18th April) SAVE YOUR BREATH + SPECIAL GUESTS @ CLWB IFOR BACH The six track EP from Newport’s best, Save Your Breath, is an enthralling swoop of pop-hardcore that takes influence from the likes of Four Year Strong, New Found Glory and Crime in Stereo without ever sounding derivative.

7.30pm, £5 PAUL DANIELS : IT’S MAGIC @ ST.DAVID’S HALL Jaw-dropping magic, musical madness and plenty of laughs to be had at St. David’s Hall tonight as Cardiff welcomes Britain’s answer to Houdini, Paul Daniels, and his money-grabbing sidekick, Debbie McGee. 7.30pm, £15 LETHARGY @ BUFFALO BAR Isle of Man four piece, ‘Lethargy’, deliver a ridiculously rocking set, complete with Nirvana covers and dangerous head-banging!

7.30pm, contact venue for prices CHEAPSKATES: TEPID OXO @ METROS Nothing tepid about this corker of a night – a pricelist as cheap as chips and some banging tunes to work your rhythmical juices into overdrive!

8pm–3.30am, contact venue for prices

Enjoy the watery wonderworld of the leisure centre at the Bay. There's a separate pool for those keen on notching up the lengths, or a much more appealing play pool with a wave machine and slides 5. Go clubbing It may sound contradictory, but a couple of hours of energetic dancing is an aerobic workout in itself and just as effective as an hour sweating it out in the gym. Though maybe try and avoid the cheesy chips afterwards!

Students’ Union, Park Place, 02920 387421 www.cardiffstudents.com ◆ Med Club, Neuadd Meirionydd, Heath Park 02920 744948 ◆ Clwb Ifor Bach ros, Bakers Row 02920 399939 www.clubmetropolitan.com ◆ Dempseys, Castle Street 02920 252024 ◆ Move, 7 Mill Lane 02920 225592 ◆ Jazz, 21 St. Mary Street 02920 387026 www.cafejazzcardiff.com ◆ The Riverbank Hotel, Despenser Street www.riverbankjazz.co.uk ◆ St. David’s Hall, Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay 0870 0402000 www.wmc.org.uk ◆ The New Theatre, Park Place 02920 878889 www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk ◆ The Cardiff International Arena, Mary Ann Street 02920 224488 ◆ The Millennium Stadium Can’t miss it. www.millenniumstadium.com ◆ The Point,

LISTINGS 29

MARCH.16.2009 LISTINGS@gairrhydd.COM

Thursday 19th March

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: CLWYD THEATR CYMRU @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE If you weren't totally put off Dicken's by English GCSE you'll enjoy this new adaption of one of Dicken's best-loved, finest novels. Pip's unforgettable journey and his encounters with Miss. Havisham, Estalla and Mr. Jaggers unfold on stage, set to a new musical score by Dyfan Jones.

7.45pm, £14-12.50 (Fri performance at 10.30am) CARDIFF UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 100TH ANNUAL CONCERT @ ST. DAVID'S HALL Support the Uni's resident musicians as they celebrate 100 years of concert-giving glory. They will be playing Grace Williams Fairest of Stars, Dvorak's Mass in D and Janacek's Sinfonietta, which, requiring 12 trumpets, will literally blow you away.

7.30pm, £6-16 THURSDAY NIGHT FOOD AND COMEDY SPECIAL @ THE GLEE CLUB Gavin Webster, Colin Cole, Dan Atkinson and Steve Hughes will have you giggling while you guzzle tonight. Get there early so you can finish your meal before you choke on it!

7.30pm, £13.50-13, or £6 without food.

ON THE ROCKS @ TEN FEET TALL Mojo inspired rock'n'roll, scuzzy guitar licks and head bangers from resident DJ's.

9pm-3am, free.

C-Y-N-T @ CLWB IFOR BACH Another night of non-stop electro that'll make the dance floor a dangerous place tonight.

10.30pm-4am, £3

Friday

20th March DEBATING SOCIETY PRESENT: A SERIES OF DEBATES ON HAMAS/GAZA @ JULIAN HODGE LECTURE THEATRE Distinguished speakers, including Jenny Willot, Douglas Murray and Rhydian Morgon, meet students to debate a number of topics relating to Hamas/Gaza.

7pm, FREE SMALL CHANGE @ THE SHERMAN THEATRE A fragile story that weaves the lives of two Cardiff families, looking at the bittersweet memories and unfulfilled dreams of two young boys, who grew up on the East side of Cardiff in the 1950s.

7.30pm, £10-£12 KING'S COLLEGE CHOIR, CAMBRIDGE & FLORILEGIUM @ ST. DAVID'S HALL If it's classical music that floats your boat, then this ensemble definitely has the credentials. Playing an array of music from Handel, to Bach, to Vivaldi.

7.30pm, £10-£30 ROGUES + GET OUT CLAUSE + WARNINGS @ BARFLY Think Bloc Party brashness mixed with computer game kitchness, new wave atmospherics combined with upbeat dance grooves. Rogue are producing original tothe-minute pop, building up to their first release this month.

7.30pm, £4-£5 FRENEMY PROUDLY PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY JAZZI B @ THE GLOBE The first of one of many future Rolodex nights that will light up the Cardiff music scene. This week features a live set from Jazzi B of Soul 2 Soul, supported by ME 1, one of the first UK artists to combine acoustic guitar with an MC delivery.

8pm, £10-£12.50

Saturday 21st March

ZANE LOWE BUDWEISER HOME TAPING TOUR @ THE GREAT HALL Your student year at Cardiff is simply not complete until you've spent an exhausting, exuberant few hours on the dance floor with Zane Lowe on the decks. If his set at the Summer Ball left you hankering for more, here's your chance!

10pm, £10 C-Y-N-T HERVE + BEARDYMAN + JFB + MIDFIELD GENERAL + TOM MADDICOTT @ CLUB SEVEN Phew - what a line up! Ranging from the beatbox extraordinaire to some pumping D'n'B and jungle tonight is a guaranteed sellout. Wear comfy shoes for a non-stop night!

10pm, £12 FLYSWATTER @ BARFLY The ultimate indie party fest with all the best alternative music from yesteryear mixed with all the current dance floor fillers.

10.30pm, £4-£5 ME AND YOU CLUB @ 10 FEET TALL Enjoy the ground floor cocktail bar, venture upstairs for the rock room dance floor, then chillax in the mexxanine library - all your needs for a night out without having to venture outside!

10.30pm, £4-£5 RBS SIX NATIONS RUGBY: WALES V IRELAND @ THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM Assuming you're not lucky enough to have a ticket to the real deal, wriggle on down to a Cathays pub this afternoon to watch the game from the comfort (and safety) of your local student getaway.

5.30pm

Sunday

22nd March JETHRO @ ST. DAVID'S HALL Three million people can't be wrong! This comedy legend from Cornwall has packed theatres across the country for over 20 years, and is returning to Cardiff with his unique brand of fun.

7.30pm, £18-16 F**K LONDON @ BUFFALO BAR Forget about Monday morning and joyfully sacrifice your week for a night of party disco trash. Special guests and themed nights, board games and Sunday treats!

8pm-3am, free THE ARC OF STARTS/PIPPA ROGERS & THE RICHOCET/WOLVES OF ST. AUGUST @ CLWB IFOR BACH A charity gig in aid of the cancer charity Tenovus, showcasing all the latest up and coming local talent.

8pm, £4 TROMBONE DAY @ WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA As bizarre as it sounds, but if you nurture a passion for brass this could be just for you!

A day of workshops and masterclasses to celebrate all things trombone, culminating in an early evening concert.

10am, £10 CARDIFF DEVILS V NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS @ THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM If the Six Nations hasn't satisfied your hankering for weekend sport, pick up some tickets for what will be a fast-paced and frantic ice-hockey match!

6pm

APERTURE PRESENTS COMMIX @ CLWB IFOR BACH Aperture leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the best D'n'B DJs, bringing some of the best DJs to the capital. Nominated as the best night in the National D'n'B awards, Friday night at Welsh Club is not to be missed.

10.30pm, £6-£8

(The Welsh Club), 11 Womanby Street 02920 232199 www.clwb.net ◆ Barfly, Kingsway, Tickets: 08709070999 www.barflyclub.com/cardiff ◆ MetIncognito, Park Place 02920 412190 ◆ Liquid, St. Mary Street 02920645464 ◆ The Philharmonic, 76-77 St. Mary Street 02920 230678 ◆ Café The Hayes 02920 878444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk ◆ Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton 02920 304400 www.chapter.org ◆ Wales Sherman Theatre, Senghennydd Road 02920 646900 www.shermantheatre.co.uk ◆ The Glee Club, Mermaid Quay 0870 2415093 www.glee.co.uk ◆ Cardiff Bay, 02920 460873 www.thepointcardiffbay.com ◆ Tommy’s Bar, Howard Gardens (off Newport Road) 02920 416192 ◆

30 SPORT

MARCH.16.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

THE WORD ON... ...Dwain Chamber's bid to break into the GB athletics team Lucy Morgan says forget but don't forgive...

FOR MANY, the image of Dwain Chambers collecting his gold medal in Turin last week would have made for uncomfortable viewing.

When an athlete receives a gold medal it usually represents the pinnacle of years of hard work and an achievement which should rightly be celebrated.

But when it comes to Chambers it is difficult to revel in his success. This is a man who openly admits to cheating and who, through his actions defrauded and devalued what was once a much-respected sport.

It has since been announced that he has been omitted from Great Britain’s relay team heading for the World Championships. Some might think this is unfair, but the team is aiming to

use the event as an opportunity to build for the Olympics, from which Chambers is still (and quite rightly) banned. If he was included in the team he would be holding back other athletes with 2012 ambitions.

There may be plenty of other sportsmen and women over the years who have tested positive for drugs, but how many of them continue to consistently defend their actions and use their past misdemeanours as a means of giving themselves more publicity?

It’s not just the fact that Chambers took the drugs; it’s the way in which he has dealt with it that is the most galling. He wants people to “let the past be the past” yet he chose to release an autobiography in which he details the ins and outs of his drug-

taking and then goes on to point the finger at other athletes: his team mates.

It’s a sort of ‘I might have behaved badly but look at what these people have done’. Is this really meant to make us forgive and forget? The whole book seems to be yet another of his disastrous attempts to remain in the public eye.

Confesssion isn't mitigation What’s more, he never seems to show any remorse for what he has done. He openly defends his past actions and then comes out with the ridiculous comment that you can’t

win a gold medal without taking drugs.

Does he really believe this is going to win him any public sympathy? If he genuinely wants us to move on then he at least needs to stop publicising his ‘drugged-up’ sportsman image and just get on with the job in hand and be an athlete.

There may be some who believe that his confession is worthy of respect. After all, he is not hiding from what he did. But let’s be realistic: confession isn’t mitigation. It doesn’t repay his wrong doings or repay the athletes whose medals he stole.

Chambers may have served his ban but that doesn’t mean we should forgive him. A little contrition on his part wouldn’t go amiss. If Chambers

Matthew Merry argues for second chances...

DESPITE WINNING gold in the 60m at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, Dwain Chambers has been left out of Great Britain’s 4x100m relay team set to compete in Berlin during August.

The British sprinter won the final in style, achieving a time of just 6.46 seconds. Furthermore, on his way to winning the gold, he managed to set a new British and European record in the semi’s with a time 0.04 seconds quicker than his final mark, shattering the 10-year record held by Jason Gardner.

However, UK athletics chief Charles van Commenee informed Chambers that he would still not be able to race, and that his decision was based primarily on the fact that Chambers is not eligible to compete in the 2012 Olympics, and not influenced by comments made by

Chambers in his autobiography.

The comments made by Chambers in his autobiography included his criticism of Lord Sebastian Coe and his questioning of Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu’s behaviour in regards to her missing three out-of-

Further punishment would be excessive season drug tests.

As a result, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is set to discuss the book to see whether Chambers’ comments bring the sport into disrepute.

Although the 60m gold winner

remains optimistic, his participation in future European events looks bleak.

Yet, with the 30-year-old athlete already having served a two-year suspension for testing positive to performance enhancing drugs in 2003, and being given a lifetime ban from Olympic participation, further punishment would appear to be too excessive on Chambers.

Having dedicated the majority of his life to the sport, training numerous times a day, several days a week, for many years is a lot for anyone to do, but Chambers has proven he can be successful in his events, and after serving his bans and suspensions he still wants more.

This desire to win and persistence to keep trying emphasises Chambers determination to get back to his best.

Let’s face it, with the like of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and America’s Tyson Gay

smashing records and setting new heights for the sport, Chambers, even at the age of thirty, remains Britain’s best hope of any medals.

Chambers has, however, been given the green light to take part in Berlin’s Golden League meeting on June 14 by the organisers. This will be his biggest chance to perform against the world’s best athletes, considering his lifelong ban from the Olympics.

British people and athletics fans should get behind Chambers and hope that he can achieve more success and add more light to a career dotted by a very black spot.

Performance-enhancing drugs should never be accepted in sport, but if an individual is determined to fight and rise above the criticism, then surely they should be given a second chance.

were allowed to go to the World Championships or the Olympics, what sort of message would this send out?

There should be one rule: test positive for drugs and you are out. That way everyone would know where they stand and there would be no room for this mindless cheating which continues to cast a shadow over the world of athletics.

SPORT 31

MARCH.16.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

SPORT COMMENT Golden balls auctioned for cash Steve Wright Sports Writer DAVID BECKHAM, never one to stay out of the headlines for long, has signed a unique deal that will enable him to play for both LA Galaxy and AC Milan.

Beckham, who was originally due to return to Los Angeles on 9th March in time for the new MLS season, has been widely applauded for his performances since arriving in Milan and has since striven to make his deal a more permanent one.

After overtures made by Milan to secure his signature on a permanent basis failed, a dual contract has been agreed instead. The contract stipulates that Beckham will remain in Milan until the end of the season, whereon he will return to LA Galaxy.

Throughout his career Beckham has constantly been accused of chasing the dollar, but according to Milan chairman Adriano Galliani, Beckham has ‘‘made an incredible economic commitment, paying a lot of money from his own pocket.’’

Beckham himself stated that his main motive for staying in Milan was to give himself a realistic chance of

However, it is easy to sympathise with LA Galaxy. Even when taking into account the extortionate sums of money that are constantly bandied around the MLS, Beckham’s transfer from Real Madrid in 2007 was huge, and much was expected from him. For such a sum the return hasn’t been all

Drug cheats

1.

playing for England in the 2010 World Cup. Going to such lengths to play for his country should dispel any myth that he is only about the money. Where his contemporaries Paul Scholes and Jamie Carragher have snubbed their countries, Beckham has always been very public in his desire to carry on playing for his country for as long as is able, even despite his abominable treatment at the hands of Steve McClaren.

It is hard not to admire Beckham's desire to play for England

TOP FIVE...

Marion Jones was stripped of her five gold medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics after she admitted to taking steroids. Her dominance was only matched by her downfall.

2.

PUT A SOCK IN IT: Beckham has enough money to fund Milan stay that great and former Galaxy manager Alexi Lalas has warned Beckham to expect a roasting from the fans upon his return.

It’s unlikely this will faze Beckham: remember that this is the guy who came through after being vilified by the nation following the part his sending off factored in England’s exit from the 1998 World Cup. It could simply be that Beckham has realised what an ill-conceived

idea his move to LA was; after all, it was done at a time when his career, both domestically and internationally ,was in the wilderness.

In any case, it is hard not to admire Beckham’s continued desire to do his bit for his country. While the money grabbing Cashley Cole slinks out of prison, Beckham, the consummate professional, can hold is head high as he does what has become rare amongst football stars- putting football first.

Three failed drugs tests left Ben Johnson shunned and shamed by fellow athletes. You didn’t need to sample his urine to unearth the truth, just look into his eyes.

3.

New wheels a winning formula?

Craig Nance Sports Writer THE 2009 Formula One season is set to begin with a number of technical changes in an attempt to both reduce costs and increase reliability.

The changes come as a result of the economic downturn with more independent, smaller F1 teams feeling the

financial pinch. The FIA have decided to also place emphasis back on car performance rather than the role of aerodynamics.

The regulations are set to make overtaking easier and thereby more entertaining to a viewing public and to keep lap times in check by making alterations to the pit lane with new in car software.

The FIA hope these objectives will be achieved through a number of

technical amendments which perhaps most significantly will include a return to slick tyres. This may well make for an increasingly entertaining season.

The biggest area of change for the 2009 season affects the aerodynamics of the car, with the most visually obvious changes being made to the wings on the chassis with intention to reduce turbulence when in pursuit of another car, helping drivers to overtake.

Does Formula 1 have the ability to beat the credit crunch?

FORCE INDIA: A force to be reckoned with?

Downforce has also been reduced via modifications to the size and position of the diffuser. The move back to slick tyres after a decade of grooved tyres has been well received by Force India Boss, Vijay Mallya.

The move places focus on the mechanical rather than an aerodynamic approach to grip. Moreover, the slick tyres will reduce performance on high-speed corners.

Mallya claims his team of designers and engineers have worked closely

to the new technical regulations and feel as though a return to slick tyres and changes to aerodynamics could see Force India prosper as a result.

This would write off any doubts that they may not have enough backing to compete with larger manufacturers, all of whom as of this year may now deploy KERS (the new kinetic energy recovery system). The KERS system stores energy lost through braking and can be deployed for a short period during each lap, adding 80 horsepower and thus cutting lap times.

The FIA have also reconsidered the possibility of proposing a budget cap.

President Max Mosley believes this would create an even playing field in the sport.

Mosley said that success would be “a function of intellectual ability rather than resources”. This, he claims, would therefore make it less likely for a team to be forced to withdraw from the championship.

To the latter stages of the previous season Honda stunned the sport by announcing their immediate withdrawal due to the economic crisis.

Other major car manufactures have also been hit by the recession, raising questions on the future of F1. The question looming ahead of the new season is whether Formula 1 has the ability to beat the credit crunch?

Flloyd Landis is the latest in a catalogue of cheats on wheels when he had his Tour de France title stripped from him.

4.

Michelle Smith came from nowhere to win three Olympic golds in the pool. Unfortunately she was up to her eyeballs in testosterone.

5.

Alex Rodriguez, touted as the greatest, recently admitted to taking banned substances from 2001-3. Achieving greatness is one thing- living with guilt is another.

32 SPORT

IMG ROUNDUP

Euros drill Numatics Euros FC 2-0 Engin Numatics BOTH FC EUROS and Engin Numatics entered this match off the back of momentous victories and were desperate to continue their dominating runs.

The importance of the match was clear from the beginning with big challenges being put in from both sides and the added mud bath often caused mass confusion for all players.

It was Euros who started lively with some smooth passing play from Webb and some tenacious, combative play from Stodgell in the middle of the park.

Towards the end of the half Numatics took control and had a chance to convert when through on goal, but the dependable Martin Paton made sure that both sides went in at the break with their clean sheets intact.

The second half was a cagey affair, a long period of play saw many typical IMG style scrambles in the Euros’ box, but there were few chances to challenge Paton in goal. Euros’ counter attack saw a far post cross, just inches ahead of Oliete who would undoubtedly have converted. The pacey Hooper-Nash up front meant that Numatics had little chance to push up too far into the Euros half.

With the final whistle came extratime, with both sides battling wearily with the thought of penalties in the backs of their minds. In the end it was Euros who broke the deadlock, with inspirational captain Daniel TennantRalphs pouncing on Hooper-Nash’s rebounded shot to launch a screamer crashing into the back of the net.

The game quickly opened up and gave an opportunity for Scrivens to waltz majestically down the left before drilling the nail in the coffin for Numatic. A weary and very wet Euros stayed strong in the last ten minutes to win their first clean-sheet of the season.

Eleven in Heaven Jonnie Bradbury IMG Reporter Inter MeNan 1-2 Magnificent XI THE BATTLE to finish as high as possible in this yearís adapted second phase got underway, with both teams knowing that a win would enable them to guarantee a highest ever position in the IMG. All of the early possession and pressure came from Inter MeNan, with Luke Goater forcing a fine save from the Magnificent XI keeper within 5 minutes. Ten minutes later MeNan had another clear shot on goal, with Si Rawlatov uncharacteristically scuffing the ball wide.

Bradbury and Woodworth, who dominated the midfield battle throughout the encounter, both saw efforts come close, but it was Rawlatov, who saw his tap-in following good work from Goater ruled offside under extremely dubious circumstances.

Unbelievably for Inter MeNan, the score remained 0-0 at the half-time whistle. But they were made to pay 5 minutes into the second half as a superb strike at the edge of the box from a Magnificent XI player found the roof of the net. Nevertheless it was still MeNan holding a vast majority of the possession and following more pressure, a long throw-in deflected off a Magnificent XI defender's leg and towards the net.

Only the mud of the Roath Park pitch could slow it down sufficiently to prevent a certain goal.

MeNan were then hit dramatically by further bad luck as a blatant handball which the referee deemed "won't make any difference", led 10 seconds later to Magnificent XI's second goal as they threatened to steal the match from the hands of their opponents.

From then on the match descended into end-to-end football as MeNan threw everything into saving something from a must-win game. With the clock ticking Dan Broadfield showed excellent technique to volley home for MeNan, but there was not enough time left to complete the come-back. MeNan will be left ruing missed chances, as Magnificent XI hope their run will continue.

IMG: Good ol' knees up

Jets pack a punch Rachael Hook IMG Reporter Cardiff Jets 11-5 Law B TUESDAY SAW a tense fixture played between the Jets and Law B, the Jets eventually prevailing with a hard fought 11-5 victory.

The Jets got off to a slow start with Law scoring a goal within the first five minutes, followed by a second before ten minutes had passed. Law's tight passing and strong defence, in particular GK Hannah Liddle, ensured that Law kept their early lead.

However, the Jets soon began to catch up with Law, with GS Amy Patterson scoring two successive goals in the first quarter. The Jets then took the lead scoring three more goals

before half time, GD Ciara Jenkins and WA Kirsty Ellis playing particularly well. The Jets reached half time 5-3 ahead and in control.

After the break the Jets continued to build their lead, scoring again within the first few minutes. They stretched the gap to 9-4, dominating the early exchanges in the second period.

However, Law kept fighting and attempted to curtail the lead, scoring two goals in succession. However, the Jets proved unstoppable and continued to score, their lead growing ever further with two more goals. The Jets secured themselves a deserved and well earned victory and will have been pleased with their afternoons work.

Indeed, the Jets were thrilled with their win, GD Ciara Jenkins stating, “We are really pleased, it was a good game and both teams played well. ” PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

Chris Tarquini IMG Reporter

PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

MARCH.16.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

IMG: Girls with balls

Not Liable Jake Edwards IMG Reporter

Liability FC 4-0 Cardiff Crusaders DESPITE THE four conceded goals and a resilient opposition, Liability FC played well and deserved to win on a wet and humid day at a muddy Pontcanna.

Within two minutes, Cardiff Crusaders surprised Liability with a quick ball over the top and took an early lead with a calm finish.

However, shortly afterwards, a quick break down the right by Tosin followed up by a brilliant cross along the floor to the feet of Ollie Offredy led to a quickfire equaliser.

15 minutes in, a corner from the Crusaders drifted towards the back post and should have been cleared, however it fell to a Crusaders striker who obliged to smash it in.

Things could have got worse for Liability when their right back, under pressure, ran down the line towards his own goal and delivered a great cross for a crusader player in the box, luckily, defender Hywel was on form to deflect the resulting shot away.

Nonetheless, constant pressure and another quick break finally paid off for Liability after Spencer produced a great cross from the left to the feet of Tosin in the middle who slotted home after the hapless keeper to leave the scores level at 2-2 at half time.

Just after the break a ball from Crusaders along the floor missed their players, and as the keeper came to collect, it hit a puddle and stopped dead in front of a Crusader who scored a near open goal to take a hollow lead at 3-2.

Five minutes later and now heaping on the pressure, the Crusaders came forward again, despite a Liability defender being on the floor injured, and used their numerical advantage to score, doubling their advantage Liability though were not dead and buried and after a drastic change of formation, a corner from Jacob Edwards went straight to the middle of the box where Ollie Offredy half volleyed stylishly into the net.

The scores eventually drew level after a ball from Brian led to a great individual run from Tosin past two players to grab his second of the game before Liability completed a remarkable comeback.

A lovely ball through from Jacob Edwards to Ollie Offredy, who was dubiously brought down led to a controversial penalty decision in the 89th minute. With Crusaders furious, Offredy nestled it into the corner to avoid extra time and grab his hat-trick in the process.

Sport is always looking for IMG reporters, if you are interested please email us at sport@gairrhydd.com

MARCH.16.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

IMG ROUNDUP Premiership

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

1

Law A

5

5

0

0

90

15

2

Cardiff Jets A

6

4

0

2

15

12

3

Economics A

4

3

1

0

55

10

4

Cardiff A

4

2

0

2

18

6

5

Law B

4

2

0

2

-1

6

6

Psychology A

5

1

0

4

-27

3

7

Socsi A

5

0

1

4

-82

1

8

Pharmacy A

5

0

0

5

--61

0

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

Carbs A

3

3

0

0

31

9

2

Medics A

3

2

0

1

26

6

3

English A

2

2

0

0

21

6

4

Dentistry

3

2

0

1

-5

6

5

Christian Union

6

2

0

4

-17

6

IMG NETBALL 1

Division 1

6

Sawsa*

3

2

0

1

17

6

7

Cardiff B

4

1

0

3

-16

3

8

Psychology B

4

0

0

4

-56

0

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

Medics B

4

3

1

0

20

10

2

Cardiff Jets B

5

3

0

2

5

9

3

Pharmacy B

5

3

0

2

2

9

4

Numatics

2

2

0

0

40

6

5

Carbs B

3

2

0

1

15

6

6

Jomec

4

1

0

3

-49

3

7

Cardiff IWC

4

0

2

2

-23

2

8

English B

5

0

1

4

-10

1

P

W

D

L

Diff

Pts

Biology

4

4

0

0

48

12

2

Socsi B

4

4

0

0

39

12

3

J-Unit

5

3

0

2

13

9

4

Gym Gym

2

1

0

1

11

3

5

Navy**

4

3

0

1

11

3

6

C Plan

3

1

0

2

6

3

IMG NETBALL 1

Division 2

IMG NETBALL 1

Division 3

7

Earth Soc

3

1

0

2

-2

3

8

Optom

2

1

0

1

--29

3

9

Automotive

4

0

0

4

-11

0

10

Economics B*

3

0

0

3

-41

-3

*3 points deducted **6 points deducted

Bio net top spot Julia Howard IMG Reporter Biology 23-4 C Plan AFTER A shaky start from both teams, a fast-paced game led to a Biology win. Despite the weather and the occasional fall on a slippery court, both teams played confidently and skillfully.

A strong centre pass from C-Plan started the match and was immediately followed up by their competent wing defence. This quickly allowed the ball to be passed to the goal attack, in a strong position within their attacking goal circle. A successful goal was scored, leading to a Biology centre.

Determined and unnerved by the early success of C-Plan, a series of skilful passes from Biology resulted in Biology’s first goal. Both teams played competently, bringing the score to 6-2 at the end of the first half in favour of a confident Biology side.

After a few team changes from Biology, play was restarted and quickly led to a series of goals from the talented goal attack and goal shooter of Biology. C-Plan remained positive and responded by some good defending, bringing the ball back to their attacking third, and with some precise interceptions allowed the ball to be passed to their goal attack, who went onto score. The game remained

dynamic and well-paced throughout, and although Biology certainly needed to work hard to achieve their win of 23 to 4 they fully deserved the victory.

The victors will now look to build

Undoubtedly our most recent and only victory this season, against SAWSA, The epic 3-3 match with J-Unit was pretty good too.

Who is your best player and why?

Owain ‘Twinkle Toes’ Mortimer, a big guy but with deceptively quick feet: plays like Gazza in his prime.

Is their any funny team banter?

The freshers in our team get a lot of abuse, and the fact that our captain has his own rap radio show, Straight Cash with DTR often provokes some good ribbing!

Netball 11.03.2009 Carbs B...........25-9.....Cardiff IWC Jomec............ 6-0 ...Pharmacy B Cardiff Jets B..11-7 ......English B Optom.............2-13 ......Earth Soc

Economics B... 5-6 ............J-Unit Biology............23-4 ...........C-Plan Socsi B...........14-8 ...Automotive Navy...............22-12......Gym Gym

Football 08.03.2009 Real Ale Mad.. 1-2 ............Carbs IMG: Balancing act

Euros

If your team was an animal what would it be?

A gazelle. Graceful and nice to look at but often gets slaughtered by predators.

What song best describes your team?

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life, for obvious reasons.

Momed........... 2-1 ...........Law A Earth Soc....... 1-2 ...AFC History Gym Gym........ 1-0 .......Socsi FC

Uni Hall.......... 2-7 ............Law B Samba Tigers.. 3-5 ......Pharm AC

Any team Prima–Donnas?

Automotive...... 1-2 ............J-Unit

Scott purely for his tantrums at the referee in every match.

Economics...... 1-5 ...Locomotive

Who has the best nickname?

It’s got to be ‘Twinkle Toes’.

Any teams you are looking forward to playing and why?

11.03.2009 Opsoccer......... 1-2 ....Psychology Men Utd......... 1-3 ............KLAW

Cardiff 1sts, because we are undefeated against them and we’re on a one match winning streak.

Euros FC......... 2-0 ......Numatics

Which premiership team is your team most like and why?

AFC Cathays....15-1 .....Philosophy

West Brom, we play good football but ultimately are destined to go down!

If you would like to see your team in the gair rhydd, please email us ay sport@gairrhydd.com FC EUROS: Boys night out

Results

Christ. Union...2-14 ......English A

Team Talk: FC What is your best achievement/ moment to date?

upon their success and consolidate their position at the top of the Division 3 table. C Plan meanwhile will hope for a stronger showing in their next outing and will be looking to sure-up their mid-table standing.

PHOTO: NATALIA POPOVA

IMG NETBALL

SPORT 33

Inter MeNan.... 1-2 .....Magnif. XI

Sawsa............ 3-0 ...........Jomec

Crusaders....... 4-5 ..........Liability Earth Soc.........1-5......Automotive Gym Gym.........3-1....Econmomics Locomotive......2-4..........Socsi FC

SPORT 35

MARCH.16.2009 SPORT@gairrhydd.COM

PHOTO: SALLY MASON

Cardiff strike gold

TRAMPOLINING: Medal winners

Sally Mason Trampolining Reporter Last weekend saw Cardiff University Trampolining Club join forces with rivals UWIC to create their very first national event, the Trampolining Welsh Open Gala (TWOG).

After weeks of preparation, and more than 200 competitors, TWOG turned out to be a huge success with Cardiff Uni dominating across the board.

Competitors from Sheffield, Reading, Nottingham and Plymouth were among some of the universities that crossed borders to compete at Talybont Sports Centre.

The day kicked off with the Novice Ladies’ category in which Cardiff’s Laura Price came out on top against 40 other competitors.

Shortly after, Cardiff’s success continued in the ladies’ Inter-advanced category with Kay Reynolds dominating and achieving Cardiff’s second gold of the day.

Captain and head coach Craiger Solomons continued the trend with a perfectly formed set and an elaborate

voluntary routine in the Advanced Men’s category, giving him Cardiff’s third gold of the morning.

Club veteran Naomi Ellis was up next and with her elegant routines she beat off tough competition from Nottingham and Plymouth, finishing in first place and achieving Cardiff’s fourth gold.

The afternoon saw first-year Sion Williams battle head to head with Southampton, but triumph came easily and the fifth gold medal was stolen from the reach of the competition.

Tom Munt-Davies entered his first competition in the Novice Men’s category and successfully won third place while Darryl Patterson continued to perform at a high standard, scooping silver in the Inter-advanced Men’s section.

Unfortunately, UWIC brothers Tom and Mike Yeates bettered Cardiff’s elite performer, Jon Thorn.

After a superb first round, Jon seemed to be in control but in the final move of his routine he crashed out from a great height, also crashing Cardiff’s chances of winning the University Shield.

Tomos Morgan Rugby Reporter

CARDIFF Men's 1sts...............20 UWE Men's 1sts.....................30 Another midweek game for the Cardiff side saw them play their third in the space of a week, having won the previous weekend in the Welsh Cup against Division Two side Treherbert.

UWE had previously claimed that they would treat the game as a varsity match due to their difficulties with arranging a varsity with their main rivals Bristol University.

Cardiff, however, turned up and made a blinding start hitting all rucks and malls with the most power, driving back the UWE pack.

Coach Martyn Fowler remarked that the first 60 minutes were possibly the best he had seen from his side all season. Yet there was dismay in the

final quarter of the game, where Cardiff again failed to close the game out and subsequently lost.

Playmaker Codey Rees controlled the game well at fly-half with his partner Rob Jones at scrum-half. Harri Guy, making his debut at full-back, put in a great performance and is another fresher who has shone through the ranks by making it into the first team this season.

Fowler said after the match: “A very good first half performance, yet the final third of the game let us down again. Commitment to training has been shown in its worst form here: loss of fitness.

"Not enough players are dedicated enough and therefore in the last period of the game we were making silly mistakes that we wouldn’t usually make. When you get tired the first things to go are little things like the breakdown, missed tackles, poor passes, but eventually they all add up”.

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

Firsts run out of steam

RUGBY: Peaked too soon

Sport GLAM ROCKERS

Jack Broadfoot Rugby Reporter CARDIFF Ladies' 1sts..............29 GLAMORGAN Ladies' 1sts.........5 CARDIFF BEAT Welsh rivals Glamorgan comfortably in a re-arranged game, which had been abandoned due to injury.

Cardiff’s starting line up was a mixture of old and new girls, providing a perfect opportunity for Cardiff to gel as a team. Fly-half Kat Lenan put in the first of many powerful tackles,

INSIDE: Trampolining take gold, double page IMG Roundup, the Word On Dwain Chambers and Sport Comment

PHOTO: CHRISTINA MACKIE

gairrhydd

setting the tone for Glamorgan to feel pressurised from the off.

The Glamorgan forwards were heavier than Cardiff’s and within minutes the Cardiff scrum-half Ceri Hill saw the opportunity of using the speed of the attack to chip through. Cardiff collected the kick and Glamorgan gave away a penalty right in front of the posts. Claire Molloy kicked it over for a 3-0 lead.

Another good strong tackle from Lenan saw Cardiff turn the ball over.

Winger Chrissy Williams took the ball through the overlap, and popped it back inside to Nikki Bamber who

scored Cardiff’s first try.

Wasting no time following the restart, Emily Baird sprinted from the back of the scrum and offloaded to Molloy who scored her first try.

Glamorgan’s scrums were strong but the Cardiff back line was on fire and passed off moves with little trouble. Another Glamorgan scrum, five metres from their try line, was charged down by Hill, who scored Cardiff’s latest try.

In the second half both teams were tiring, having already played once during the week. Despite their lead, Cardiff continued to take it steady and

although Glamorgan were now missing their usual fly-half, they made Cardiff fight hard for the victory.

The backs took the ball well with a chip from Roz Lambe. Unfortunately it rolled over the dead ball line before she could make the dive for the line. Molloy made up for it, scoring from the halfway line by dodging two Glamorgan forwards.

Glamorgan retaliated, pushing up the field using their forwards weight against Cardiff’s lighter pack. Alex Quinnell was sent to the blood bin and Jen Blackburn came on, impressing immediately with a great run down

the wing.

Unlucky handling meant Glamorgan managed to pick up a Cardiff mistake and use it to their advantage, scoring their only try of the match. A brilliant take by Rosa Handscomb-Allen saved a loose ball and a possible Glamorgan attack.

Winger Blanche Lumb was crushed in the mess leaving her with serious ankle injuries and had to be carried off. Play continued and, in the last ten minutes, Molloy added to the score with her second try, finishing with a conversion to make the final score 29-5 to an impressive Cardiff side.

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